


Cobwebs and Walls

by LiliumReverie



Series: Through Someone Else's Eyes [2]
Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 07:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 19
Words: 38,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11641380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiliumReverie/pseuds/LiliumReverie





	1. Prologue

**Eyeless Jack's Point of View**

_Melanie: Age 8_

_(15 Years Ago)_

 

        "Jackie!" little Melanie called from the other side of my bedroom doorway. 

        I groaned. "I told you not to call me that, Mel. It's a girls' name."

        "What's wrong with being a girl?" Melanie cocked her head in inquiry.

        "Nothing," I sighed, sorting through the books on my nightstand.  _She always does this._  "But I'm a boy. I don't want to be a girl."

        "Why?"

        "Because I like being a boy." I answered somewhat curtly, trying my best not to lose my temper with her.

        "Why?" she pressed.

        "Because I don't want to be a girl." I groaned.

        "But why?" she asked again.

        "Because girls are annoying, Melanie. Just shut up, will you?" I finally snapped.  _Why do children always feel the need to recite that one word like a mantra?_ I noticed little Melanie recoil from the sharpness in my tone and hang her head remorsefully. I sighed exasperatedly but apologetically, approached my little sibling, and knelt down in front of her. "I'm sorry Mel. You're not annoying, you just ask a lot of questions sometimes, that's all."

        Melanie sniffled and brushed her hair back, still avoiding my eyes. "I'm sorry, Jack."

        "No, Melanie, it's okay. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." I insisted. I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Do you have any other questions? I promise I won't get mad."

        She took a deep breath as she hesitated, thinking deeply. "I had a question just a minute ago..." 

        "You came downstairs from Mother's room." I recalled, trying to help Melanie to remember.

        "Oh, right!" Melanie beamed, remembering her thought. "Why hasn't Mama come out? She's been in there a real long time."

        Jack sighed. "It's grown-up stuff, Mel."

        "You can tell me!" she said, puffing out her chest and rolling her shoulders back. "I can take it!"

        Jack chuckled a bit and tousled her hair. "I don't think so, Mel. It's complicated."

        "Please!" she whined. "I'm worried about her." she said a bit more softly.

        I sighed again and wrapped my arms around her. She eagerly accepted my embrace.  _Poor thing. How do you tell a little girl about something this complicated?_

"Me too, kid. But we have no reason to be. She'll be fine." I lied, releasing her to look her in the eyes.

        "She will be, or she  _is?"_ little Melanie inquired cleverly. That girl never misses a thing.

        "She is." I lied again.

        "Then why is she in there?"

        "Because she likes to be alone, that's all."

        "Father always said that you only hide from the monsters of the world." She recalled somberly, grasping the hem of her little black dress. 

         _Yeah, well, Father was a psychopath._

"I remember." I answered, for lack of a better counterargument that wouldn't include any complicated grown-up topics.

        "Are we really that terrible, Jack?" she quietly started to cry. "Is she hiding from us because we're her monsters?" She tried to breathe and wipe her eyes, but the tears continued to fall. 

        I held her again while she whimpered into my shoulder. "Of course not, Melanie." I took a deep breath to buy myself time to find an intelligent response. She waited patiently, wanting so badly to believe whatever I had to say. "I think she's hiding from her inner monsters." I answered honestly. 

* * *

_(Current Date)_

"Hey, Jackass!" Melanie giggled and knocked while opening the door simultaneously.  _God, I hate it when people do that._

"Please don't pick up on that; it's bad enough when Jeff does it." I groaned.

        "Aw, come on, bro. You like it." She kicked off her shoes and made herself at home on my bed.

        "I promise, you I don't." I rolled my eyes. "What do you want, kid?"

        "Don't call me that." she said seriously. 

        "Don't call me Jackass."

        She exhaled sharply. "Fine. Whatever."

        "Thank you." I smiled smugly. "Now, what was it that you wanted, Melanie?"

        "I'm not entirely comfortable with that one either." She snapped. "You know that."

        "I'm not going to stop calling you by your name. I've made that clear." I asserted.

        "That's not my name, though. It's Reverie now."

        "Melanie is your birth name."

        "Well I was born with eyes, that doesn't necessarily mean I got to keep them." She laughed morbidly. 

        I laughed. "Life works in weird ways. We don't always get to keep everything."

        "Exactly, thank you."

        I stopped to think for a second. "That's not what I meant."

        "But it's what you said." she retorted. 

        "I don't like this conversation much at all."

        "Then end it by agreeing to call me by my name."

        I huffed, but I was getting tired of the argument. "It really means that much to you?"

        "It really does." She said genuinely.

        "Fine, then." I caved. "Reverie it is."

        She grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you!" She bounced over to my desk chair and threw her arms around me. She gave me a quick peck on the head and started bouncing out the door.

        "Wait, what did you want?" I called out to her.

        "To argue. I was bored. Love ya!" She called back from the hallway.

        "Brat." I chuckled to myself.  _Same old Mel._  


	2. I

**Jeff the Killer's Point of View**

         "Hey, cutie!" Reverie beamed as she sat herself on my lap.

        "Why in God's name would you call me that?" I growled, actually annoyed by that nickname. 

        "Because you're a cutie!" She kissed my left cheekbone. "I'm simply stating a fact." She giggled. "Cutie."

        "That is highly annoying." It still annoyed me, but I tried to mask a genuine smile. 

        "Cutie."

        "I can still kill you!" I laughed obnoxiously.

        "You wouldn't." She grinned.

        "It would be quick! Virtually painless!"

        "You would never kill someone painlessly." She smirked, wrapping one hand around the back of my neck.

        "Oh no, I wouldn't. I mean it would be painless for me." I shot playfully.

        "You're an ass."

        "You're an idiot."

        She leaned in to press her lips against my own with a delicious amount of force and intensity. My tongue tangled with hers, and for just one more sickeningly glorious second, our bodies were in sync. I couldn't pull away, I couldn't stop. I just needed more of her. Nothing would ever be enough.

        "Why the fuck do you guys have to act like this on a constant basis?" BEN scoffed as he entered the room, proceeding to slouch lazily in his gaming chair. "There are like a million rooms in this house. Pick one."

        "I'm perfectly okay with that actually." I laughed, picking my girl up bridal style to carry her to my bedroom. 

        Reverie started, "I'm good, actually, Jeff. Can't we just-"

        I cut her off, laughing darkly. "Turn the TV up to max volume, asshole!" I called to BEN from the top of the stairs. I reached my bedroom and slammed the door behind me.

        I dropped her onto my messily-made bed and climbed on top of her, kissing the base of her neck. She brought her hands to my shoulders and tried to push me off of her, which lead me to catch her wrists and pin them to the mattress above her head. My mouth returned to her neck as I bit hungrily at the sides. She moaned at the sensation and laced her legs around my back, but tried to escape my grasp. I didn't let her, obviously. 

        "You're mine." I insisted.

        "I know." She stated, but there was an inquisitive tone to her voice. Apparently the concept wasn't entirely clear.

        I released her wrist to free my hand, but quickly tackled both wrists with the one. Her hands were small enough, and she didn't object. I gripped her face with my free hand harshly, arising a small cry of pain from her. She didn't pull away.

        "You got that?" I barked. "It isn't up for negotiation." 

        "Yeah, Jeffery, I got that." She confirmed. I generously ignored the attitude behind it. 

        "Good." I said, releasing her face and giving her a quick and easy tap to her cheek. She tried to rub it against her shoulder, which I generously ignored as well. I let her go entirely and stood to leave. Suddenly, I needed the space, but I knew I'd be back soon.

        Without another word, I walked out and shut the door behind me, leaving her to herself. I knew she'd miss me.

* * *

**Reverie's Point of View**

         _Well, that was fucking strange. Even for him._

        "Hey, what the Hell was that?" I demanded, following Jeff out of his room shortly after. 

        "Forget about it." He said rather cavalierly. 

        "I'm not just going to forget about it Jeffrey."

        "Try."

        "No!" I insisted. I sighed and my voice softened. "Talk to me."

        "Why?" He halted at the base of the stairway, turning around to face me. I almost lost my balance, but stopped myself just a couple stairs from the bottom. "What is there to talk about? I'm tired."

        "You're not tired. Jeff, it's been a year. Don't you think it's coming time to relax a little bit?"

        "What the hell do you mean, 'relax?'"

        I exhaled sharply, trying to keep calm. "I mean  _relax,_  like stop being so tense all the time." He sighed and shook his head.

        Eventually he eased a bit and composed himself. "I'm just tired." he repeated more quietly.

        I descended the last few stairs and wrapped my arms around his neck, making sure to look him in the eyes. "Please," I asked, nearly begging at this point. "Tell me what's wrong. Let me help."

        He sighed again. "Can we just talk about it later?"

        "I can work with that." I allowed. He kissed me, much more gently than he had before, but there was no lust behind it. I wasn't quite sure  _what_ was behind it. 

        At that point he retreated evenly from my grasp, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again. 

        "I love you." I called. He turned and smiled faintly for a second, but continued on his way to the living room. I knew better than to follow him. He needed his space. For whatever reason. 

* * *

**Jeff the Killer's Point of View**

         _She was right. It's been a whole year. But that's the problem!_

I sat down on the couch and exhaled ever ounce of what had built up in my lungs. BEN was still right there playing some zombie survival game. He ignored my arrival, but I wanted to be alone. I didn't want to return to my room right after Rev watched me leave. She'd think I was running away from her. I mean I  _was_ , but I didn't want her to know that. 

       "That was quick." BEN chuckled snidely, finally acknowledging me.

        "Remind me why you don't have a system in your bedroom?" I seethed.

        "Slender thinks this'll force me to socialize more." He responded seriously. "Why, am I in your way?"

        "Yes, actually." I barked. Then I sighed, and tried to relax again. "No. Just forget I said anything."

        He paused the game and rotated his chair to face me. "What happened?"

        "What?"

        "Something must have seriously happened for you to go out of your way to avoid acting like a complete douchebag."

        "Don't give me a reason to!" I laughed obnoxiously. "And don't get used to it."

        BEN put his hands up in a surrender and turned back to his game. We sat in silence for a while. I did my best to watch his game with my full attention, but my mind was a cluttered dump of thoughts I feared I could never learn to read. 

* * *

**Reverie's Point of View**

        About thirty minutes later, my bedroom door swung open, and Jeff appeared in front of me. He said nothing. He just shoved me back onto my mattress, climbed on top of me, and I found myself all the way back at square one.


	3. II

**Reverie's point of View**

        The following day, after I had lost all hope of getting Jeff to talk to me, Slender came to the residents of the mansion with some rather exciting news. Well, I was excited. 

        "Children," he began, standing center of the living room, each of the said children gathered around him. "It's that time of year again where-"

        The room erupted with groans and objections.

        "Please no."

        "Not this shit again."

        "Someone just kill me instead."

        I leaned over to Jack. "What? What did I miss?"

        "His brothers are visiting." he grumbled. "They're crazy."

        "Aren't we all though?" I challenged. I didn't understand what the big deal was. It sounded like fun!

        "No, not like that." Jane rejected passively. "Not that much."

        "Even I think it's too much." Laughing Jack piped in. He shuddered at the thought. 

        I looked to Sally for her thoughts on it. She's the only person in the house who shares my love for change.

        She sensed this and shrugged. "Father doesn't let me near them."

        "And there's good reason for that." Slenderman assured her. He turned to me. "I love my brothers, Miss Reverie, but the others are right. They won't harm you on my watch, but please, try to be wary." I nodded. "And as for the rest of you: be polite!" he commanded, arising mutters from the group.

        "I still don't understand what to be wary of, Slenderman." I pressed. 

        Jeff crossed to my side of the living room and gestured for me to stand. I lifted myself off of the carpeted floor and he sat where I had just been, then pulled me onto his lap.

        "You okay?" I asked him quietly.

        "Yeah, I just didn't want to say anything in front of Sally." he replied in a whisper. "One of his brothers is a complete pervert. He'll try to attack anyone he sees; he doesn't discriminate. That's why Slender won't let Sally near him." 

        I nodded.

        "He's going to see you as the perfect target." Jeff continued. "You're fresh meat. He'll go after you the first chance he gets, so when they get here, I want you by my side at all times. Understood?"

        "Understood." I confirmed, silently resenting the commanding attitude. He's possessive, and he's a little rude, but he's mine. 

        "Wonderful." He nodded. After a second, I think he sensed that he had been a bit curt with me, so he kissed my cheek, causing me to blush and forget his initial tone. 

        "They will be arriving later this evening," Slenderman announced. "So tidy the house please, and prepare yourselves for a fairly long week. I am certain I will need to do so."

* * *

        The brothers arrived later that evening, as promised. They were loud and intense and exhilerating. Honestly, I was thrilled to have some new people around. Over the past year, I have come to value other perceptions and attitudes more than I have feared interaction. Keeps me on my toes. 

       Every one of us gathered around the front door to greet them. Jack stood beside me to my left, lecturing me. To my right, Jeff was silently guarding me. 

        "Helloooooo!" The first brother sang upon entry. The moment he arrived I could tell he was an exceedingly colorful individual, and his suit showed it. This brother actually had a face. An unnatural, cartoony-looking face, but a face nonetheless.

        "That's Splendorman." Jack appointed quietly. "He's just kind of... Outgoing." 

        "You mean ridiculously loud and obnoxious." Jeff rolled his eyes. 

       "Just trying to be positive." Jack defended.

        "What she needs to be is cautious."

        "I'll make my own mind up when the time comes, thank you." I scolded the two boys. Jeff glared at me and pinched my side hard. I slapped his hand and pushed him off of me, but he came back and wrapped his arm around my waist more lovingly. I tried my best to ignore the first action. 

        "Oh, Slender.." The second brother tisked as LJ went to grab his suitcases (and I mean many of them). "You really need to update the design in this.." He scoffed as he lifted a drape with his forefinger and thumb, "establishment." 

        I giggled a bit as Jack explained. "That would be Trenderman." He smiled. "He's very stylish."

        "You mean he is a psycho pretty boy." Jeff laughed loudly and obnoxiously. 

        "She said she wanted the facts." Jack snapped.

        "Enough, guys. Don't make me ask again." Jeff glared at me again. He reached to pinch me again, but I telekinetically caught his hand and redirected it to himself just before he could, causing him to pinch himself. He winced. He has a very high pain tolerance, so the fact that he winced at what he had intended for me kind of bothered me.

        And then the last brother came in. 

        He wore an open trenchcoat, revealing his bare, slender chest. On his head was a fedora, which until he finally lifted his head, concealed his mouth, which was identical to Slenderman's monstrous set displayed only when he attacks. In this beastly jaw he held a lit cigarette and a twisted grin.

        Part of me was frightened. I searched for Sally, but Slender had already dismissed her. I grabbed Jeff's hand for consolation, and he squeezed mine in return. Feeling safer, I leaned into him, and allowed him to wrap both arms around me. He was my protection; the walls I raised to sheild me from harm.

        "Are you okay?" Jack whispered, leaning over and placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I nodded. "That one's Offenderman. He's the one we keep Sally from, and I suggest you take similar if not the same precautions." 

        "Slenderman wouldn't allow him in here if he was a harm to any of us." I concluded, but Jack just stared at me. I waited for him to speak, but he just let out a sigh and shrugged. 

        "Just be careful, okay?" He pleaded. I nodded. He nodded back, and took a deep breath to calm himself.

        "Leave poor Slender alone, brother." Offenderman grinned deviously. "This is a wonderful home. Very dark." Slowly, he turned to face me. Even without an actual face, I could tell he was staring. I gasped involuntarily, and his grin widened.

        "I adore every inch of it." He spoke lowly and deviously, causing my whole body to shudder in complete rejection of his words. He continued to smile at me, and though I wanted to to appear ignorant, I found mysef caught in his eyeless gaze. No matter how badly I wanted to, I couldn't look away. After what felt like hours, he finally turned, and my sights were released. 

        For several minutes after the three guests had left to see their rooms and the other residents had cleared the room, I stood there, seemingly lifeless, but shaken in thought. But I was no longer terrified. I was.. curious.

         _How did he do that? Didhe do that? _

I hadn't realized that Jeff was still attached to me until he finally spoke up. "What's wrong?" he asked suspiciously. 

        "Nothing," I falsely assured him. "Sorry, I spaced out. I'm fine."

        Jeff laughed out loud. "After all this time, you still think you can lie to me?"

        "Can't we just talk about it later?" I pleaded sarcastically, hurt by his condescending tone. 

        "That means never." he observed literally.

        "Oh, you picked up on that, huh?"

        Angrily, he released me and extended his forefinger towards my face. "Watch your mouth." he commanded with a low growl in his voice. 

        "What's with the double-standard here, Jeffrey?" I snapped. "Why can't you just talk to me?"

        He ignored my questions and started for the stairs, but I just couldn't let it go.

        "What the fuck is your problem?!" I demanded furiously. "Why are you acting like such a little bitch?!"

        Immediately he turned to storm back towards me, but I stood my ground. He would never hurt me.

        Or so I thought.

        The palm of his hand smacked hard across my face, the force throwing my body to the floor like a rag doll. He dropped swiftly to his knees and flipped me onto my back, his hands ready to strangle me the instant they were provoked. I cried out briefly and waited for him to strike again, but he never did. 

        He groaned in exasperation instead, watching as the tears silently streamed down my face. He took a deep breath to compose himself.         

        "I'm sorry-" he said softly, reaching out to hold me, but I recoiled, still very frightened. His hands dropped to his sides as he let out a short sigh. "Why would you say something like that, Rev?" he asked me gently.

        I didn't respond. I didn't know how to. I couldn't speak. I could hardly think.

        "Speak." he demanded a bit more harshly.

        "I don't know! It was stupid of me, I'm sorry." I obeyed, speaking frantically as I inched away from him. 

        "No, please don't do that, baby. Come back." he begged. he reached out for me again, but he didn't drop his arms when I tensed up.

        "I'm sorry." he repeated. "I've been a dick lately, I know. I shouldn't have hit you." He exhaled. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately, and you kind of provoked me." He waited for me to respond, but I didn't. "I won't ever do it again, I swear. Just please forgive me this once."        

        I wanted to, but I was still very shaken up. He had done the unthinkable. But it had come out of nowhere, and he'd never hurt me before. He could've strangled me, but he didn't. He practiced restraint then, he could do it again.        

        "Promise?" I pleaded, my voice shaking as I cried. He wrapped his arms around me, and I finally let him. 

        "I promise." he breathed warmly onto my neck as he held me tightly. I allowed my cheek to rest on his neck, and let his embrace surround me and silence my fears. "I love you so much, Reverie. I promise I will die before I hurt you ever again."

        And I guess that's all it took.


	4. III

 The next day was our first with the three brothers. That morning, Slenderman instructed the residents telepathically to join them in the dining room at breakfast to display a "family environment." No one really agreed with this, but we knew he would NOT take no for an answer. My only job was to keep my cheek covered by my hair.

* * *

        "This is wonderful, brother!" Splendorman cheered, his mouth full of bacon. "I feel every color of the rainbow bursting inside my heart at the taste!"

        "That would be the cholesterol, Splendor." Trenderman scoffed. "I wouldn't  _dare_  eat-"

        "Anything but the healthiest of human souls." The others recited monotonously in perfect sync.

        "That is absolutely right." Trender agreed, somewhat like how a teacher might instruct their class, and readjusted his glasses. I just chuckled to myself and continued eating.

        "I want to play!" Sally announced happily, having finished her breakfast. 

        "What do you want to play, darling girl?" Splendorman asked sweetly.

        "I want to play dress-up!" She replied excitedly, enjoying every ounce of the attention. 

        "That would be your area of expertise, Trender." Slenderman appointed, giving Trender a strong pat on the back. He nodded in response.

        "Can I play too, Sally?" Spendorman pleaded enthusiastically.

        "Of course!" She beamed.

        "May I join as well?" Offenderman grinned from the opposite end of the table. 

        "Absolutely not." Slenderman answered sharply. He turned to Sally. "Run along, child. Uncle Splender and Uncle Trender may join you." Sally giggled and jumped out of her seat, and the two brothers stood to follow her to her room. 

        "I'm her uncle too, brother." Offenderman whined not too long after Sally and her Uncles reached her bedroom.

        "Don't start this nonsense in front of the children, please." Slenderman groaned.

        "What is it Slender? You don't trust your older brother?"

        "No, in fact, I do not." Slender spat. "Not with the children, and especially not that one."

        "How rash you've become, brother!" Offenderman smirked. "As I recall, you used to be quite hospitable." 

        "By that, do you mean how merely yesterday I welcomed you into my home? Was that not 'hospitable' enough for you, brother?" Slenderman seethed, his tendrils whipping at his back. "I have trusted you for centuries and allowed you to return every single year, no matter how you've vexed me. Please do not insult me for that, brother. If you must, you know where to exit."

        The room fell silent as Slenderman recomposed himself. "Have I made myself quite clear?" He asked with a warning to his tone. 

        "Crystal. I deeply regret and apologize for undermining your authority." Offenderman grinned, lifting his hands in surrender.

        "Very well, then. Children, you are dismissed." And without another word, we stood to leave.

* * *

**Eyeless Jack's Point of View**

        A few hours after breakfast, Melanie knocked at my door. I called to her to enter, and she did, but not with the vigor and enthusiasm that she normally would. She just sat lightly at the foot of my bed and waited to be addressed.

        "Rev?" I broke the silence after a moment. My voiced appeared to snap her out of whatever menatl coma she had been in. She nodded at me silently. "Did you need something?" I asked suspiciously.

        "Oh! Yes. Um, I have a few questions."

        "Shoot."

        "I'm not entirely sure how to ask this, but why is Slenderman so... Protective of Sally?"

        "You want to know Sally's story." I reiterated. She nodded. I sighed. I didn't want to tell it, but someone had to explain it to her at some point. "Long story short, she was raped and murdered by her biological uncle."  _There. Quick and painless._

It hadn't been painless to Melanie, though. "W-What?" she stammered, tears welling up in her eyes. "Are you serious?"

        "Dead." I answered. I wanted to laugh at my unintended pun, but I restrained myself. Mel was obviously really shaken up by the story.

        "You mean to tell me that poor little girl was attacked by some.. Some  _pervert_?" She cried. 

        "Unfortunately, yes." I confirmed sadly. 

        She wiped a tear as it rolled down her cheekbone. "That's horrendous. She is.. The sweetest little thing." 

        "I know."

        "And that's why Slender is extra careful with Offenderman?"

        "Exactly."

        "How is it that she's here then? Is she like us?"

        "No, not exactly. We don't know for sure, but my theory is that she's a spirit of herself, or like a ghost." I explained.

        "A ghost?"

        "Like the stories Father used to read us."

        "Father?" She cocked her head, puzzled.

        "You don't remember?" I asked, surprised. She thought for a moment, then sadly shook her head. "I won't fill your head with opinions then. When you remember, I want you to remember him for yourself." She began to object, but stopped herself and nodded in agreement. She always knew better than to take her ideas from others.

        "Was there anything else you wanted to ask? You said you had a few." I offered.

        She hesitated. At one point she poised her lips to speak, but snapped her mouth shut after a second thought. 

        "Come on, Reverie."  _God I hate calling her that._ "Whatever it is, we can talk about it. Just talk to me."

She thought on it a moment more, but eventually just shook her head. "I'm fine." She dismissed.

        Then she stood up, brushed her hair into her face, and left, shutting the door quietly behind her.

       _I hadn't asked if she was okay. Now I know she's not._


	5. IV

**Reverie's Point of View**

        I woke up that evening to the sound of knocking on my door. It was short; Jeff had already opened it before I could tell him to. He appeared to be sad. I couldn't remember a time I had ever seen him visibly sad. This worried me.

        "Jeff?" I called to him softly as he stood motionless in my doorway. He said nothing in reply. Quietly, I removed the covers and got out of bed to approach him. 

        As I got nearer to him, I could hear him mumbling to himself. At first I didn't recognize what he was saying, but when I listened more closely, I heard him say my name. 

        "What is it, Jeffrey?" I asked, trying not to feel frightened. I strained to listen until I was finally able to comprehend his words.

        "Reverie, I'm afraid." he said to me.

        "What are you afraid of, dear?" I was terrified at this point. The disturbing behavior had been quite enough before the infamous Jeff the Killer had confessed fear.

        He inhaled deeply before he replied. "Afraid of myself." He inhaled again. "I don't know.. I don't know if I can control myself."

        "What do you need to control, Jeff?" I asked, a tear rolling down my face.

        "I love you, Reverie." he whispered.

        "I love you too, Jeffery, but please tell me what you need to control." I did my best to cry as quietly as possible. This was a terrible side of him I hadn't yet seen. I hated every bit of it, but I needed more of it to understand.

        "Don't ever leave." he requested. "Please, promise you'll never leave me."

        "I promise." I sobbed. He began to mumble again, and I decided I couldn't take any more of it. Having gathered my strength to the best of my ability, I reached out to lightly tap his shoulder.

        The touch ripped him from his deeper state, waking him instantly. He glanced at me before his eyes darted around the room. Frantically, he brought his eyes back to me.

        "Reverie, run!" he shouted. Before I had even a second to think, he was thrown out of my grasp through the threshold, and my bedroom door slammed shut between us. Behind it was Offenderman, standing tall and dark in the corner of my walls. I screamed as Jeff pounded on the door, but I couldn't move. 

        "Reverie!" Jeff screamed from the other side. 

        I tried to respond, but suddenly I was paralyzed. I was caught once again in that hypnotizing gaze of his, unable to speak, unable to think, and unable to breathe. The Offenderman held out his hand, which gently grasped a fresh, deep red rose. It was so beautiful and mesmerizing; I just couldn't take my eyes off of it. The sight of this rose compelled me, and slowly, I reached out to take it for myself. 

        "Reverie, don't take the rose!" Jeff cried desperately, still pounding relentlessly at my bedroom door, but all too late. My fingers had already brushed gently against the thorny stem of the flower, and my world instantly faded before me.


	6. V

**Reverie's Point of View**

        When I came to, I found myself in a dimly lit alley, identical to the one in which I killed that boy last year. I shuddered at the thought, my body naturally trying to force the memories away. I turned to see Offenderman's sick, twisted grin. 

        "Welcome home." he said finally, his form towering over me just a foot from where I stood. 

        "This is no longer my home." I replied bravely.

        "Right, of course. you now reside with the other disgusting monsters." he recalled snidely. 

        "Yes, I do." I confirmed. "And though I deeply appreciate this little waltz down memory lane, I would like to go home now. My new home, with the monsters." He began to laugh. His laugh was deep and devious, sending spastic shivers down my spine. He sensed this, which only caused him to laugh that much harder. 

        "You're afraid." he observed after a moment. "You'll never admit it, but inside you know you are afraid." His grin widened with every word as they rolled off his tongue. He drew closer, making him a mere inches from me, but I stood my ground defiantly. He was right, I would never admit fear to the likes of him. I had plenty of experience in this department.         

        He firmly grabbed my shoulder with his long, skeletal fingers. I tried to shake it off, but removing his grip from my shoulder only meant redirecting it towards my waist. Quickly, I kicked him in the groin, but he didn't budge even slightly. Other attempts to physically harm him failed, and though I tried so desperately to scream, his hand held fast on my mouth, and I could do nothing but cry underneath it. 

        I flexed the most powerful section of my mind, hoping the telekinetic force would save me, but those hopes failed as well. Even the fences rattled on their posts and the glass shards that littered the ground pierced the air like javelins before I could so much as tip the fedora on his bare, white head. As I expended every last drop of my energy in trying to escape him, he forcefully stripped me of my clothing in the darkness of the alleyway, and I knew I could never defeat him. 

        Just as my last hopes were dying out, I caught glimpse of a little girl at the end of the alley. Part of me thought it was a figment of my imagination, influenced by my exhaustion, but I screamed more loudly underneath his hand to catch her attention. She stared right at me, and stood entirely motionless. I continued to scream, and as I gradually lapsed into utter exhaustion, I watched as she giggled playfully and ran away.

* * *

        I opened my "eyes" in an endless green meadow. The tall wisps of grass whipped viciously at my shins as the wind blew angrily past me. The clouds stretched out like an ominous grey blanket overhead, blocking out every tiny ray of sunshine to the world below. 

        The little girl stood before me, entirely unafraid. Her long, platinum hair fell in waves, cascading down her shoulders to rest gently on her feminine black dress. She smiled, and I recoiled from the start it had given me. 

        "Don't be afraid!" her happy little voice sang to me.

        "Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" I asked, dumbfounded at the lack of attention she'd given my empty eyes. She should've seen me as a monster, but she just giggled sweetly, then turned to leave. The girl glanced back at me just a second before, and gestured for me to follow. Before I even had the chance to agree, she had started to run, and I just did as I was told, running after her towards the distant tree line. 

* * *

**Jeff the Killer's Point of View**

        The door swung open under my fist, which I knew meant that he was gone. I practically threw myself past the doorway as my eyes darted around the room. I found no sign of her. I cried out in pure grief and rage, furious with both Offenderman and myself.  _I should have been guarding her! I should have been there to fight him off! I let this happen! What the fuck is wrong with me?!_

In my rage, I tore the covers off of her bed and kicked her nightstand over with full force. I whipped the throwing knives out of my sweatshirt pocket and fired them one after another at the wall in front of me. Like flashes of light they darted across the room and plunged themselves into the drywall, and I fell to my knees, crying out in agony once more. No one could hear me. Everyone had left on a killing spree, which only made Reverie's situation worse. But I was here. 

         _I could have saved her!_

After all this I stopped to catch my breath, hunched over the floor like a stab victim. I was still panting when Slender appeared in front of me. 

        "What happened, child?" he asked anxiously. I jumped to my feet and fixed myself myself quickly (no fucking way he was going to see me cry) as he searched the room. "Where is Miss Reverie?" 

        "You're a fucking mind-reader! Wouldn't you know?!"

        "W-Well.. I-" he stammered. 

        "Your fucking brother got her!" I screeched, feeling like the answer was obvious. 

        _"He WHAT?!"_  Slender roared, his tendrils whipping behind him.  _"I'm going to rip that bastard limb from limb!"_

        "How could you possibly not have known?!" I demanded, starting to fill with fear. 

        He eased a bit, and took a deep breath. "My brother possesses the ability to to alter minds temporarily, including my own." he admitted hesitantly. 

        Without a second thought I lunged at him. I thrusted my fists at him again and again until he bound them together with one of his tendrils. I tried to kick, but he restrained me there too. 

        "You bastard!" I screamed. "You knew he could do this! You let him come here!"

        "I know." he allowed sadly.

        "You could've prevented this!"

        "I know." 

        "You let this happen to her!"

   _"I KNOW!"_ he silenced me. My heart fell into my stomach, and I couldn't help but cry angrily. The hot tears fell down my face more quickly than I could wipe them away.

        "And now there's nothing we can do." I cried hopelessly. "Is that right?"

        Slender bowed his head for a moment. Finally, he sighed. "We can try."


	7. VI

**Reverie's Point of View**

        We ran together for what felt like mere seconds through the meadow that had appeared limitless before. Our stop was at an old house, secluded deep within the woods. Though it did appear run down, it seemed to be occupied. I looked to the girl, who had said nothing. She looked back at me and smiled, as if to welcome me. 

        "Where are we?" I asked skeptically.

        "You don't remember?" she giggled.

        "No, I don't." I said, gazing up at the house. I racked my mind for answers, some deeply-hidden memory, but there were no bells.         

        "You'll see then." She smiled encouragingly. "Come on!" She motioned for me to follow before ran towards the house. 

        "Isn't this trespassing?" I called after her hesitantly. She didn't respond. After a second of thought, I ran after her.  

        She halted when we reached the porch. I looked to her to make the next move, but she shook her head. "You have to open it." She said. "Only you can unlock the memories." 

        I stared at the door for a moment, but I eventually took a deep breath, and slowly turned the doorknob. The room was dark, but dimly lit by tea light candles scattered around the room. I entered the house with caution; my steps were light though my heart hammered in my chest. As I looked around the room, I noticed the gothic decor that took form as tapestries drapes and dressers. The walls were painted pitch black, and victorian mirrors seemed to reside on every wall. My eyes were drawn to a picture frame at the other end of the hallway, but I couldn't quite make out its image. I approached it slowly, and the little girl followed quietly behind. Once I reached the frame, I lifted it off the wall to look at it more closely. I recognized the boy in the picture.

        "That's Jack." I said faintly. The little girl nodded excitedly. 

        "You're remembering!" she cheered. 

        I reevaluated the little girl. The long blonde hair, the chocolate brown eyes, the porcelain skin, and the sweet, innocent smile..

        I kneeled to look her in the eyes. "And you're me."

        "And I'm you." She beamed.

        I gawked at her for a moment, searching her sinless face for a rationalization. I found none.

        "Why are we here?" I asked, my voice faint and nearly inaudible. 

        "Well, go on," she smiled, nodding towards the door beside us. "Open it."

        "Wait, I want to know what's going on-"

        "All will be explained." she assured me. "I promise."

        I sighed and moved towards the door. I opened it to find Jack curled up in his bed, surrounded by empty walls and overwhelmingly full bookshelves. He was sobbing hopelessly into his pillow. Strangely compelled, I closed the door behind me. I had never seen Jack cry like that before.

        "Jack?" I called to him softly, starting to step closer to him. My younger self stopped me. 

        "He can't hear us. He can't see us either, but he can feel us. You'll only scare him." she explained. 

        I nodded.

        "Step back." she warned. Immediately after, there was a knock at the door. The visitor opened the door without acknowledgement, and Jack shot up in his bed, wiping the tears away quickly. 

        "What is it, Mel?" he sighed exasperatedly. 

        "Jack!" another little Melanie sobbed, running into the room and collapsing into Jack's open arms. I looked to the girl that had brought me here, and she stood there still, sadly watching the scene as it played. 

        "Hey, what's wrong?" young Jack cooed as he held her tight, caressing her head. "Tell me what happened."

        "I-It's Father again." she whimpered. "He won't stop telling the stories. He just keeps mumbling to himself. I'm scared."

        Jack sighed and buried his chin between them. "Hey, it's okay. Look at me." She did as she was asked, and he gazed deep into her eyes. "They're just stories, okay? Just remember that; they're just stories." 

        "But they're terrible stories!" she cried. "And he's still talking to himself!" 

        "Don't worry about him, Mel. He's okay."

        "There is nothing okay about that, Jack!" she wailed. He held her again, shushing her as she cried. He continued to caress her hair, and she started to calm down.

        Jack sighed. "Everything is gonna be oka-"

        A man, who appeared drunk, stormed towards us through the doorway. The guiding little Melanie yanked me out of his way, and I felt the air he created as he rushed past me. My heart fluttered in my chest, but my younger self grabbed my hand, and I felt safer. 

         _This isn't real,_ I reminded myself.

        "Get here, you little wench!" The man shouted at the memory Melanie. She stumbled back into her brother, who quickly flipped her around to face him.

        "Melanie, go." Jack ordered.

        "But-"

        "NOW, Melanie! Go!" She did as she was told, darting past the drunken man's legs. He tried to snatch her up, but in his intoxication, his reflexes failed him. 

        "Get back here, you bitch!" He bellowed. He began to stumble after her, but Jack eraced to the door and slammed it in the man's face. 

        "Leave her alone!" Jack hollered, blocking the door with his body in brave defiance.

        "Get out of my way, insolent boy!" The man commanded furiously. 

        "No! Stay away from her! She's just a little kid!" Jack held fast. He would not be intimidated before he protected his little sister. 

        "Who the hell is that?" I asked quickly, turning to guide Melanie. 

        "Father.." She sighed sadly. 

        In an instant, he tore off his belt and whipped the buckle against Jack's innocent face.

         _"No! Stop!"_ I shrieked at the horrible man, but he was ignorant to my pleas as he beat the young Jack without remorse, again, and again, and again. I rushed forward to save him, but my younger self pulled hard on my elbow.

        "Don't! You'll only make it worse!" She screamed. I halted to glance back at her. She was terrified, every one of her limbs tensed and her face greif-stricken at the sight of her wounded brother, who continued to cry out as his father beat him. 

        "You said they can feel us?" I asked anxiously.

        "Yes, but-"

        "Good."

        And with that, I tore my arm away from her, lunged at the awful man, and struck his side with a round-kick. He fell, groaning pain, and Jack took the opportunity to stumble to his feet. 

        "Ah, lord Morning Star, what devils have you sent to vex me now?" The wincing father moaned. "What horrors shall I face for you, my God?" Horrified, Jack blasted from the room. "You can run, Jack," Father called after him, "but the monsters cannot be avoided! The demons will follow! You are never alone! You are never safe from the devils of this wretched world, you hear me?!"

        Jack continued to run, and under little Melanie's guidance, we followed suit. We raced down the hallway and out the front door, but what it opened to was not the dark and desolate woods we had left there, but the vile and godless sight of the alley. It was empty, occupied only by ourselves and the roached that resided. 

        "Why are we here?" I puzzled fearfully, catching my breath. 

        "They're coming. I have to go." She turned to leave. 

        "Wait! Where are you going? Who's coming?"

        "All will be explained." She repeated from earlier with an encouraging smile. "I promise."

        With that she vanished, and in that same instant, I heard Jeff's voice call my name.


	8. VII

**Eyeless Jack's Point of View**

(Twenty Minutes Before)

        Just as I was finishing up with a victim, an ineffable feeling that can only (and ineffectively) be described as grief consumed me. My heart dropped into my lungs and I entirely lost the ability to respire. The sound of distant cries rang in my ears, and I recognized the sound. My heart made that sound the day I lost Mel.

         _She's missing,_ my troubled mind whispered to me.

        "She can't be." I questioned myself aloud. "She's at home with Jeff and Slender and-"

         _Offenderman._

        I dropped my victim's kidneys and started desperately towards the Mansion. 

* * *

**Jeff the Killer's Point of View**

        "My brother has a taste for... Sentiments." Slender explained, shaking his head regretfully. 

        "And by that, you mean-"

        "I mean that he enjoys inciting terror in his victims by taking them to venues with value to them." He sighed.

        "Sick." I scoffed.

        "Indeed. Therefore-"

        Just then, Jack burst through the door. 

        "Where is she?" He pleaded breathlessly.

        "How did you know?" I retorted, both confused and amazed.

        "I don't know I just had a feeling." He answered frantically. "Who cares, I'm not concerned about that right now; where  _is_ she?"

        "That's what we are trying to figure out, child." Slenderman intervened. "Has she expressed any fears or emotional distresses lately?"

        I did  _not_  like that question. I hadn't cared to ask, and the only time she had expressed it to me was when they were at my own hand.

        "Um, I-" I stammered guiltily. 

        "She's been asking a lot of questions." Jack interrupted. "About my life before Slender Mansion."

        "Then we'll retrace our steps." Slender affirmed. "What do you remember from the times before you came to us and after you lost your sister?"

        Jack hesitated.

        "Well, hurry the fuck up!" I flamed, still feeling guilty for not knowing these answers myself. 

        "Well there's this back alley I used to look for her in. I thought I had seen her there once, and earlier this year she told me that's where she spent most of her time." 

        "That's it. Let's go get her." I commanded, taking the opportunity to participate. 

        "Fair enough." Slender agreed, placing a hand on each of our shoulders, and we teleported immediately to the alley.

* * *

        We landed in the alley in the blink of an eye. I hated to teleport, but in this case, it was the most efficient way to go. The alley was musty and poorly lit, but in the shadows at the other end I could barely make out the monstrous silhouette of the Offenderman. 

        "Release her, Offender!" Slenderman ordered. Offenderman stood slowly and stepped out into the light. 

        "Gladly." He grinned, buttoning his pants as he approached us. He sight was enough to send me flying, but Slender bound me once again with one of his tendrils. I struggled against him with my full force, which lead him to wrap several more tendrils around me, rendering me immobile. 

        "Give me the girl." Slender commanded. 

        "Of course, brother." Offenderman assured him mischievously. "I've had my fun. The poor think is exhausted!" His tendril protruded from his back and stretched back into the shadows, then flung Reverie's naked body towards us. She scraped lifelessly across the gravel as he spoke. "Take comfort in the knowledge that she experienced little pain."

        I stared at her exposed motionless body, dark thoughts racing through my head.  _Could he have killed her? No, she's immortal. But what if he did?Maybe he's powerful enough to override that. There's so much I didn't say! She was the only girl I ever loved! She made me better! She made me LOOK better! She was my only redeeming quality.._

Sooner than I had imagined, it was Slender's turn to lose his shit. His body erupted into its attack form; his jaw unhinged and his tendrils ripped through his suit. He released me in his rage, and dashed towards the Offenderman as Jack and I watched in complete awe. But with a nonchalant tip of his fedora and a twisted laugh, he vanished. Slender stopped dead in his tracks, assuming his neutral form. 

        "I've lost sight of him!" He claimed frantically. "I don't know where he went!"

        _I don't care. My girl might be dead._  

        "Reverie!" I shouted, bolting towards her naked, unconscious body.  I dropped to my knees at her side. "Wake up, Rev! Come on, wake up!" I called to her anxiously, tapping her cheek repeatedly.

_If I lost her I knew I would lose my mind for good. I would never love again, and I would never again feel mercy. Only she could do that to me._  But eventually, her eyes fluttered heavily, and finally opened to examine me. 

        "Oh, thank God!" I sighed in utter relief, my voice shaking with shock-induced laughter.

        "Where am I?" She asked softly, but anxiety consumed her face. "Where's Offenderman?" She tried to sit up, but she halted, stifling a scream of apparent pain. She looked to the origin of the pain and took notice of the blood painted across her crotch and inner thighs. As she made this realization, she started to heave air almost to the point of hyperventilation. I reached out to hold her, hoping to calm her down, which only upset her more (to say the very least).

        Her chest-crushing telekinetic force knocked me off my feet and hurled me to the opposite end of the alley, and she screamed. I began to regain my balance, angrily brushing off the gravel and broken glass, but her scream was so deafening and intense that it brought each of our hands (with the obvious exception of Slenderman's) involuntarily to our ears, under which her sound continued to ring. Soon, her own blood streamed down her cheeks like tears, but I was too shocked and offended to make any moves to help her. Jack did, however, and was thankfully tossed aside as well. I didn't like his heroism much. She continued to scream; she didn't falter, and she didn't care. She just writhed in her hate and loss, yanking her hair from her head and scraping her heels against the jagged ground beneath her. The gravel surrounding her suddenly levitated and pierced the air in all directions like a storm, and Slender created a wall with his unified tendrils to shield us from the effects; but when the fences around us shook noisily in their places and rattled to the ground, Slender was forced to intervene. 

        "Not here." Slender decided, lifting Reverie bridal-style. She fought mercilessly, and even scratched his face up pretty good, but he wasn't phased. "Hold onto me, children." he instructed. We picked ourselves up and did as we were told, and before we knew it, we were back at Slender Mansion.

        We found ourselves in the living room, where he sat her down on the sofa. She grabbed a pillow to wail into and curled herself up into a ball, and we just watched, none of us really knowing what to do. I was still pissed that she used her abilities against me, but she didn't seem to have noticed it herself, so I let it slide just that once. As she began to calm down, Jack carefully approached and sat down beside her. Though I had wanted to, I didn't object. At least not out loud.

        "Jack, please don't touch me right now; I don't want to hurt you." she whimpered underneath the pillow. He nodded knowingly. He sat in silence until eventually Reverie calmed down enough to look up at him, and he met her gaze with a sigh of regret. 

        "I'm so sorry, Rev." he exhaled, taking off his mask so she could see his manipulative woes. "I should have been there! If only I had known earlier, I swear to you, I would've been there."

        _His voice shook as he spoke, and I hated him for it. No one could see it of course, but we knew damn well that he cried for her. If only HE had been there, HE would have saved her. BULLSHIT. She's mine to save. How dare he try to take my place!_

"Now, wait just a minute,  _hero_ -" I seethed, but I was cut off. 

        "And where the fuck were you?!" Reverie demanded. "Since you're so high and mighty! What's your excuse?! You were HERE!"

        "Offenderman-"

        " _Offenderman fucking RAPED ME! You said you would protect me!"_ She accused, her face red with rage. Jack stupidly tried to hold her, but I wouldn't see that happen. He would  _not_  make me look like the villain.

        "The woman told you not to touch her, you moron!" I barked, grabbing his wrists and tearing him away from her. He collapsed like a pathetic heap as Reverie shouted at me. I didn't bother to listen to whatever it was. "Get up you little pussy!" I challenged dominantly. He looked up at me like the dog he truly was and obeyed. "Good boy!" I cheered sarcastically.

        He swung at me almost instantly, landing his fist square in my jaw. I hadn't expected him to fight back, but I didn't mind. Someone needed to put that little hero back in his place. I swung back, but he dodged it and punched me in the stomach. I pulled a knife on him and Reverie screamed.

        "Don't be a bitch." Jack laughed. "You're actually afraid a little pussy like me can beat you up? Let's settle this like men. Unless you really are nothing without a weapon."

        I thought it over and grinned, slipping my knife back into my pocket. "Of course. What was I thinking?" I laughed deviously, taking a sarcastic bow. "Let's take this outside, shall we? I wouldn't want to damage Slendy's fine furniture."

        "While I am grateful for the consideration, Mr. Woods, neither of you will be going any such place." Slender declared, standing between us as we glared at each other hatefully.

        "Oh, then here's fine!" I exclaimed, lunging past Slender at my victim, going right for his throat. He grabbed my wrists and wrapped them behind my back, Flipping me around to pin them to my back. I used this against him by lifting him onto my back and throwing him over my shoulder, slamming him against the wooden floors. He sputtered a bit before I kicked him in the side, which only knocked more air from him.

        "Aren't you going to do something?!" I heard Reverie shriek at Slenderman. 

        "Honestly, child, I think they will have to figure this out themselves. Like Jack had said, they need to settle this like men."

        "Of all times to be relaxed, you've chosen NOW?!" She screamed in disbelief.

        "Fine by me!" I laughed as I generously granted Jackass the opportunity to stand up and fight. He took it, and as soon as he regained his balance, I socked him again. He kicked me right in the solar plexus and I fell into the coffee table, shattering the glass beneath me. 

        "Jack, stop!" Reverie screamed. I laughed at this, loving how she had chosen sides. I jumped right up, filled with energy my woman had given me, and planted my fist on his nose, the substance from his eyes dripping down my arm.

        "Jeff, stop! Please!" She cried, and I saw her pull at her hair out of the corner of my eye. I guess she hadn't chosen sides. That made me angry. 

        And just as I was about to knock him out and end this shit, the bitch jumped up and stood between us, facing me. My fist traveled on, and I unintentionally punched her right in the eye. She screamed and fell to her knees in pain. 

        "Why the fuck are you constantly feeling the need to jump between us?!" I scolded, dropping to my knees to assist her. Both hands were clasped over her right eye. "Are you okay?" I asked more gently, placing one hand on her shoulder and the other on her lower thigh. 

        "Yeah, I'm fucking great." she grunted. I reached over and moved her hair from her face, peering between her hands. "There's nothing to see, Jeffery, I have no eyes." she reminded gruffly. 

        "Yeah, I know that." I condescended, but truthfully, I needed the reminder. "I'm sorry." I said finally after a moment of hesitation. 

        "You're sorry." she laughed. "I'm glad to hear that, Jeffery."

        "What more do you want from me?" 

        "I want you to stop fucking fighting every time your ego is shot!" She laughed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. I didn't know what to say, so I scoffed arrogantly as she looked over to Jack. " _Both_  of you."

        "I was just defending myself!" he argued.

        "And I was just defending  _you!"_ I retaliated, looking to Reverie. 

        "Whatever." she shook her head, standing up to leave. She stopped and groaned in pain, hunching over from the pain in her lower abdomen. Jack moved to help her, but she held her hand out to stop him. "Seems you all know better than I do." She said, standing up straight and starting for the stairs slowly. 

        I exhaled sharply in frustration. "Where are you going?" 

        "I'm going to take a shower to clean the blood off of my face and vagina!" she answered angrily. "Is that okay with you, Jeffrey?"

        "Yeah, that's fine." I allowed, not knowing how else to respond.

        "Is it cool if I put on some clothes as well?" she called, nearing the top of the stairs.

        "Lose the attitude, Reverie!" I warned, but I felt sorry for asking. I had almost forgotten what she had been through just a half hour before. 

        She laughed as she reached her bedroom door. "Of course." she chuckled, and slammed it behind her. 

        I stormed off to my own bedroom, thinking only of what I had done wrong.

         _Fucking idiot!_


	9. VIII

**Reverie's Point of View**

        In that moment, I hated him. I hated the way he disregarded my feelings the moment he felt threatened. I hated that he constantly needed to assert his dominance over everyone. But most of all, I hated that his arrogance and ignorance didn't even surprise me anymore. What else could I expect? Compassion? Of course not. Support? Not a chance. Validation? Never in a million years. His regard for his own damn reputation was far more important than my feelings. Hell, they were more important than  _his._ I could never expect him to express any love to me. 

        But, God, How he used to..

        Believe it or not, he actually used to be kind of romantic -or as romantic as a psychopath can be. Don't let me mislead you, he was certainly no Romeo, but he really treated me like his Juliet. I know it sounds stupid, but I really do believe that he truly loved me once. He used to be there when I was lonely, and he would hold me when I was scared. There were nights where he used to wipe the tears from my cheeks, and wash them when those tears fell as someone else's blood. We used to go on dates! Some nights we would go killing together; taking our sweet time with our victims and savoring every last moment with each other, as if we were dying along with each human life we took. Other days we would just lay back and wrestle, or.. Well, you know where that may lead.

        I specifically remember the night I told him I loved him. We had been on incredibly rough terms, but I figured it was as good a time as any. My blood trailed down my wrists as he kissed me fiercely, gripping my face between his palms so tightly I feared my skull might crack beneath them, but I couldn't get enough of it. He asked me to swear to him, as if I had never told him truth, but just the way he looked at me.. I don't believe I've ever known such passion. We spent the remainder of that heart-wrenching evening in each other's arms. He seemed tense at times, but then I would rest my head just above his heart, and he'd melt all over again. For that night and the several weeks that followed, he was the only thing I may have ever hoped to need. 

         _And now, rather than holding him, I'm holding myself in the quiet of my room, rinsing the blood painted down my face with my own tears,_ I thought.

I wished that he was there with me, but I knew well that if he had been after the events that occurred, I wouldn't want him to be. I just couldn't stand it. All I wanted was for him to care, or at least to  _act_ like he did. But he was never one for self-expression, was he? Even on that passionate night all those months ago, he didn't know what to say. But he didn't have to; I could just feel his thoughts racing through his fingertips as he laced them between mine. His words swam in the depths of his giant, glassy-blue eyes when he gazed lovingly back at me. Most of all, though, he expressed himself through his smile. It was permanently carved there, of course, but when he laughed with me, I could see his cheeks stiffen ever so slightly and feel his contentment that let me know as clearly as light to my eyes that his smile was genuine. To clarify, my "eyes" don't necessarily see the light, but I know it's there, just as much as I knew that he was. 

        These thoughts troubled me, but they equally offered a new perspective, in which perhaps I had been looking at Jeff all wrong.  _His verbal expression has always been limited, so why am I expecting it now? Of course his thoughts and feelings are there, I just wasn't listening correctly.  He's not one to speak on his feelings, he just ACTS on them. And though his language is a subtle one, it's one I am merely conversational in. I can speak it just fine._

_I just have to learn to decipher it._

* * *

**Jeff the Killer's Point of View**

        For seemingly the first time in my life, I wished I hadn't spoken. I was so angry and ashamed with myself that I had entirely ignored what Reverie had just been through. I can't imagine the horrors she experienced! That's my woman; I should've been the one she cried to, not the one to cry at. 

         _Why the actual fuck am I such an insensitive prick?!_

Just then there was a knock at the door.

        "Jeffrey?" Reverie called from the other side of the door. I didn't answer.  _What could I say?_

"Jeffery, I know you're in there." she called again with a sigh. "Look, I know it's been a rough night for both of us, and I just wanted to say I'm-"

         _Not a fucking chance._

I shot up out of my bed and bolted towards the door, which swung open under the harsh and immediate pull I had given the doorknob, to reveal her startled expression. I threw my arms around her maybe too aggressively as she tensed at the impact.

        "You're  _sorry_?!" I laughed, clearly putting the emphasis on the wrong word as I dragged her into my bedroom to throw her on the mattress. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

        "You don't have to be so angry about it, I'm just trying to tell you that-" 

        "No, I know! I know! But that's crazy!" I laughed out loud, leaning over to kiss her roughly on the lips. I pulled away to find yet another startled facial expression. "Why the fuck would  _you_  be sorry?!  _I'm_  the one who should be sorry!" I exclaimed, finally landing the emphasis correctly. 

        "You're not mad?" she asked timidly, still very confused.

        "You're insane!" I concluded jovially. "Come here, you little psycho." I held her head greedily in both of my hands, kissing her with as much meaning and depth as I could muster. I didn't know how else to tell her. She's beautiful, smart, she's crazy; she's either a sinless monster or a godless angel. She's both my rise and my downfall; my most relentless but favorite inconvenience. I just wanted to let her know that I was there, and that I always would be. She sighed underneath my lips, and through the messages passing silently between us I felt the weight fall off her shoulders. She didn't hold back one damn bit; she gripped the front of my hoodie in one hand and the hair at the base of my neck in the other, and for a moment I could have sworn she had one extra hand to serve the sole purpose of holding my heart. Just once more, our bodies were in perfect sync as they intertwined, and no distance between us could ever seem too short. 

        I reluctantly retreated from the kiss, and watched as she waited a moment more before she allowed her eyelids to flutter open. She laughed shyly, redirecting her gaze from my face to the space between us, still holding me tightly as if I might leave. I could feel her emotions radiating through me even then, and though they were subtle, they were strong enough to let me know that she was afraid. Afraid that we were falling apart, and that we couldn't keep our pieces from crushing what was left of our love. That we would lose ourselves before we even had the chance to lose each other. 

        "Look at me." I commanded gently, and she lifted her head to gaze deep into my eyes. I didn't have to say any more than that, I knew she could see right through me. I leaned in to rest my forehead against hers, and caressed her jawline with the flat of my thumb, hoping that she could hear me as clearly as I could hear her. She beamed, her love glowing within me, and I knew that she heard every bit of it. 

        "I love you too, Jeffrey," She chuckled softly, "and we'll be okay. I can feel it."

        And so could I.


	10. IX

**Eyeless Jack's Point of View**

        The following morning at around three a.m., I gave up hope of getting any sleep. My mind just would not be silenced at the sickened thought of the Offenderman, but even more so the thought that he could in any way overpower the infamous Slenderman. Just as Melanie said the other day, Slender would never let anyone in the Mansion if he thought for even a second that they might harm us. But how could he not have known? He's always seen the Offenderman for the perverted monster he is; a threat to almost anyone. So why not harmful? Slender must have known better. He had to.

        I had been highly alert all night, so I couldn't help but notice a significant  _click_  come from upstairs (the third and highest floor in the Mansion on which Slender's room and the guest rooms were located). I paused curiously until I heard another. At the second sound I stood and pulled a t-shirt over my head to go investigate. It's not like I had anything better to do; my internal questioning was getting me nowhere but lost and frustrated. Walking carefully so not to wake Mel (who had become a very light sleeper as a result of her time out on the streets), I moved down the hallway towards the staircase that lead to Slender's level. Once I reached the stairs, there was a sudden crash coming from the top floor. I anxiously pounded up the stairs and whipped around the corner to find Slender's intimidating figure turned to a broken window at the other end of the room. He breathed heavily over the shattered glass until he sensed my presence, then turned sadly to face me. 

        "I will fix that." he muttered, shaking his head. "What do you need, child?"

        "What the hell happened?" I asked nervously, still catching my breath from the early-morning dash. He sighed, directing his gaze back to the window. 

        "Do not concern yourself with this, Jack." 

        "I'm already concerned. About more things than one." I insisted. "Tell me what's going on."

        "I shattered a window, and now I'll have to find-"

        "Why did you break the window, Slender?" I interrupted, annoyed that it took so much just to get a simple answer from him. 

        "Child, I genuinely do not wish these issues upon you all." he answered quickly, but firmly. "It's difficult enough that it has affected Miss Reverie so gravely." 

        I sighed and scratched the back of my head. "That's just it. I want to help her, Slender, and I know you do too. But we can't do that if you won't explain this to me. Please, let me help my sister." He stared silently out the window as I spoke. He didn't really seem to be listening, and I was starting to get frustrated. "You owe her that much." I asserted boldly.

        He snapped back to face me at the end of my last comment, and I immediately regretted saying it. Honestly I was partially afraid that he would attack me, seeming that his temper has been so out of control lately. I tried not to let the fear consume me, and even as he stepped towards me, I held fast, keeping my feet planted firmly into the Gothic rug beneath me. But then he stopped and let out a sigh, and redirected himself to sit heavily on the guest bed at the side of the room. I exhaled with relief as he did so.

        "You're absolutely right." he exhaled deeply, cradling his faceless head in his hands. "If only I could go back and fix this. I would prevent the horrible event even if it inflicted the most excruciating pain in me."

        "Wouldn't we all." I chuckled dejectedly, just trying to keep myself together at the truth in his words. I placed myself on the floor in front of him. "Can you tell me what happened?"

        He hesitated a moment before responding. "I packed Offenderman's suitcase and heaved it out of that window." he admitted softly, nodding to the broken window. "I am utterly nauseated by what he's done to her, but even more so at the thought that I allowed it to occur." 

        "Well you didn't necessarily  _allow_ -"

        He directed an unbelieving head-cock at me to inform me that he saw through every bit of my bullshit. 

        "Okay, so you fucked up." I sighed. "But frankly, Slender, your regret holds no purpose. It does nothing to help until it fuels your motivation towards a solution."

        "Wise words." he nodded approvingly. I nodded back, trying not to think about how validated I felt. This man was my idol, and the fact that the legend thought even somewhat highly of me pleased me in an incomparable way. I grinned broadly beneath my mask, then stopped quickly, remembering that he could read minds.

        "So, what do you propose that we do?" I asked, attempting to shake my enthusiasm.

        He thought deeply for a moment, then shook his head regretfully. Still, he said nothing.

        I waited a moment. "What?" I finally asked, my curiosity getting the best of me. He turned back to face me. Even without eyes, I could feel his contact.         

       "I'm going to kill him."

* * *

**Reverie's Point of View**

        Surprisingly enough, I slept that night, but not soundly. Not without fear (which would typically feed my insomnia) pervading my dreams. Even with Jeff by my side infusing my sheets with his comfort and warmth, my sleep seemed to be nothing but hellish nightmares. I might have expected this after my horrifying experience with the Offenderman, but he wasn't the one that dominated my dreamscape.

* * *

         _I laid out on my back alone in the quiet of the woods, with only the rustling of leaves against the ground in the cold night breeze to assure my ears that they were functional, and the blackness of the night only broken by the shy streaks of moonlight as they shone dimly from the treetops. I could hardly see my hand in front of my face, but the land seemed to stretch endlessly before me in all directions. It was highly unsettling. I felt so timid; so small in the presence of the world that encompassed me. With a seemingly limitless abundance of oxygen at my will, I felt entirely unable to breathe._

_Suddenly a twig snapped approximately ten or fifteen feet behind me. Instinctively I attempted to shuffle into a fighting position, but I found myself incapable of this. I couldn't move, and slowly I realized that my hands and feet were pinned to the ground by boulders, each limb filling in a point of a Satanic star. I panicked and struggled against them, but the pain that I hadn't yet experienced overwhelmed me instantaneously._

_My gaze pointed towards the sky, and I looked to the stars for comfort, but I found none through the blanket of ominous clouds overhead. Slenderman appeared over me silently, and knelt with a small knife in his skeletal hand. I hardly had time to scream before he gouged out my eyes. The pain was excruciating for a second, but then reality came forth to save me._

* * *

**Jeff the Killer's Point of View**

_(Around Three A.M.)_

        I woke up with a start to the sound of Reverie screaming. I shot up in bed to find that she had too. She cradled herself, her head between her knees as she cried hysterically. I impulsively grabbed her by the elbows, and she jolted at the touch, screaming something that I didn't catch in my frenzied state. I quickly released her, putting my hands up by my head.

        "Sorry!" I exclaimed briefly. She cried harder. "Can I just hold you?" I took her nonexistent response as permission and brought myself to my knees to hold her completely, and though she tensed up, she didn't reject me. "It was just a dream." I whispered. "It's okay now, it was just a dream." She began to cry more softly, and eventually she calmed down enough to speak.

        "I'm sorry." she whimpered, opening herself to wrap her arms around my neck eagerly. I accepted her as warmly as I could. I wanted her to feel better, but I'm not in my best spirits in the middle of the night. She sniffled. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

        "You don't need to be sorry, Rev." I caressed the back of her head and squeezed her gently. "You didn't do anything wrong." 

        Eyeless burst through the door immediately after, not even bothering to knock. He noticed me and stopped in his tracks. 

        "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in here." he apologized, scanning me, probably angered by my obvious lack of clothing. "I-Is everything okay?"

        "She's fine, just a nightmare." I answered. "Out, please."

        "Well I just wanted to-" 

        "Please leave. She's fine." I asserted territorially. 

        "Jeff, that's my little sister." he said quietly, with no hint of disrespect in his voice. Believe me, I looked for it. 

        I sighed, and gazed down at her as she gazed right back up at me. "I know, I just feel bad that she's naked." I smiled down at her, then turned back to face him. "Just kind of puts me in a weird spot."

        She turned to face him, still nuzzled in between my arms. "I'm okay, Jack." she insisted. 

        He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, obviously trying not to look at us. "You sure?" 

        "I promise." she nodded. "Thank you." 

        "Okay." he yawned and left, closing the door behind him. She kissed my cheek as I watched him leave.

        "What was that for?" I smiled down at her.

        "Thank you." she smiled back. "You tried not to be a dick there. I noticed. And I appreciate it."

        "Yeah, well." I laid back down and pulled her with me, trying to avoid the attention she was giving me. "Let's just go back to sleep, shall we? I'll be right here."

        "I know you will." she said softly. I was embarrassed by this, but warmed nonetheless.


	11. X

**Eyeless Jack's Point of View**

        After my conversation with Slenderman and Reverie's night terror, I did actually fall asleep. I didn't need too much of it, however; by about eleven I was up and moving. When I descended the stairs to cook myself a kidney, most everyone was already in the common area. As disconcerting as this was (since I was almost always downstairs first), I moved on with my life. I entered the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door to pull out a large Tupperware container, which was nearly empty. I hadn't brought any fresh ones home last night, given the circumstances Offenderman had put us all in. Of course I didn't resent this even a little; I was extraordinarily grateful that I was able to get there when I had, but I could only hold myself over with human food for so long. I could only go about a week on human food before I starved to death. Soon I would have to go out and get more kidneys. I resumed with the preparation of my brunch and grabbed a pan from the cabinet. 

        Just as I had placed the kidney in the simmering pan, Melanie walked through the room nonchalantly, keeping true to her tendency to have her personal issues remain strictly personal. She even flashed a sweet smile in my direction to let me know that she was okay. I smiled back in appreciation of her update. Normally she wouldn't go to that much trouble. As she continued on her way, her hair fell slightly in her face, and with one sweeping motion she brushed it aside, unintentionally giving me sight of the bruise on her right cheek.         

        "Hey, stop." I said quickly, motioning for her to step into the kitchen. She did halt, but rather than following my direction she just stood there with a puzzled expression, allowing her hair to fall back over her face. I stepped towards her, getting close enough so that I could move her hair behind her ear, exposing the injury once again. Realizing what I was focused on, she smacked my hand angrily and fixed her hair to conceal her cheek. 

        "What the hell is wrong with you?" she snapped, breaking away from me.         

        "What's wrong with  _me_?What's wrong with your  _face_?" I interrogated. She tried to walk away but I grabbed her by the arm to prevent it. She turned back to me and shot me a piercingly furious glare. I didn't give a damn. "Where did you get that?" I demanded. 

        "I got it from Offenderman." she scoffed, but clearly with no confidence in her words. "Thanks for reminding me."

        "Bullshit. Don't lie to me, Reverie. You're terrible at it." There wasn't a hint of sympathy in my tone, and though my attitude might've come across as an attack, she needed to know how dead fucking serious I was. "This looks like it's already a few days old. Now answer me." I commanded.

        "I already told you." she answered a bit more quietly. I noticed that she had side-glanced to the living room as she spoke. Following her gaze, I peered into the room and took account of those present. My eyes almost immediately fell on Jeff the Killer. 

        "He didn't." I gawked in utter disbelief.  _He's an asshole, he's a womanizer, but I hadn't expected this. Maybe I should have._ I felt my face getting hot in potential rage, but I didn't take my eyes off of him. "Oh my fucking god, please tell me that he didn't!" 

        "I don't know what you're talking about." she shrugged, which only made me believe it more.

        "Don't play dumb with me, Melanie!"

        "I told you not to call me that."         

        Just as I was ready to to attack and kill the son of a bitch, the smoke alarm went off. I whipped my head back to face the stove top to find that the kidney had burnt to a crisp, filling the kitchen with a thick cloud of smoke. I rushed to the oven and turned off the gas stove, sweeping my hand through the air as I went.         

        "What happened?" Jeff called obliviously from the living room, the very sound of his voice insulting and infuriating me. 

        "Oh, nothing!" Melanie replied, still glaring at me. "Jack simply lacks the attention skills necessary to notice when something's gone wrong." she was apparently just talking to me now, and though her point was to offend me, her face fell as she spoke, displaying her own offense that she had taken to my lack of attention to detail until this point. I think part of her was just hurt that I hadn't noticed the injury before. "Maybe he needs to learn when and when not to focus on the little things."         

        "Reverie, don't shut me out."

         _"You shut the door. I just locked it."_ she replied telepathically, walking away dismissively.

* * *

        I cleaned up the kitchen and went straight to my room so that we could be alone. 

         _Slender, can we talk?_ I thought.

        Silence.

         _Slender?_ I waited again, but there was no response. I feared the worst. His temper had been so unpredictable lately. Had he left us?

        "Slenderman!" I called out loud, and he suddenly appeared in the center of my room. "Why didn't you show up the first time?" I asked him, frazzled.

        "I do have my own life, child." he replied vaguely.

        I shook my head. "Sorry."

        "Not to worry. What did you wish to ask me?"

        "Did he do it?" I demanded, jumping right in.

        "Did who do what, Jack?"

        "Did Jeff fucking beat my little sister?" I pressed, frustrated and confused by Slender's apparent lack of his typical omnipotence.  _Wouldn't he already know?_

"What makes you think this?" he asked, almost entirely unconcerned. I ignored his less than subtle reaction.

        "I just had a little talk with Mel. She tried to tell me that the mark on her face came from Offenderman."

        "Perhaps it did."

        "Perhaps it didn't!" I snapped. "It must have been there for days. When I asked her about it she refused to tell me what happened."

        "But why do you assume that she hasn't already told you the truth?"

        "Has she ever lied to you, Slender?" I questioned. He didn't reply. "You'd just know, wouldn't you? She can't lie any better than she can breathe under water."

        "There is truth to that. However, child, you have a tendency to jump to conclusions when you think Jeffrey may be at fault."

        "I want to be wrong right now, Slender!" I laughed out loud. "I really fucking do, because that would mean that my little sister hasn't been physically abused any more than she already has! I would love to be wrong! But I genuinely don't think that I am!"

        "And what would you have me do, child?"

        "Could you at least check on her?"

        "And anger her even more?" he challenged.

        "Yes! If that what it takes to keep her safe, then I would be fine with that!"

        He sighed, forcing me to pause and catch my breath. "Alright." he conceded once I finally calmed down. "I'll do what you ask, but if she reacts undesirably, I will  _not_  be blamed." 

        "Understood." I agreed with a sigh. "Thank you." He nodded, and was gone in the blink of an eye.

* * *

**Reverie's Point of View**

        I sat next to Jeff on the couch watching BEN play Majora's Mask when Slender appeared in the middle of the room. For the first time ever, he actually scared the fuck out of me in doing this.

        "Jesus!" I jolted, involuntarily bringing my startled hand to my chest.         

        "Miss Reverie, might I have a word in the other room?"

        "Did Jack send you?" I asked snidely, still trying to slow my heart rate. 

        "Individuals as powerful as myself act on their own accord. Your brother cannot 'send' me to do anything. He has no power over me."

        "How about influence?"

        "Miss Reverie, I understand that you are under a great deal of stress right now, but the attitude will not be kindly tolerated in my mansion." he scolded gently. I wanted to be angry, but I couldn't find it in me to outwardly disrespect the man who so generously took me in just a year before. I couldn't comprehend why, but lately my every emotion rejected his presence! Luckily my mind did not.

         _I apologize for disrespecting you, but I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't make my personal matters quite so public._

_**I would not have to if you would kindly do as I asked.**_

       "Fine." I said aloud, standing to meet his extended arm with my own hand. Without another word, he teleported us to his bedroom. We landed in the center, directly between the mattress and the door. The room was very dark, almost pitch black with the exception of a small tealight on the vanity. This, for whatever insignificant reason, made me immensely uncomfortable.

        "Why are we here?" I asked uneasily. I had never been to his bedroom before, and why this meeting was so important that I just  _had_  to have it there, I didn't know. I tried to ease my tension, but I was just nervous. I didn't want to be, I had no real reason not to trust Slenderman. 

        "Your bedroom is directly beside Jack's. I figured you would wish to avoid any potential eavesdropping." he replied, entirely unaware of my nerves.

         _I definitely would. Good thinking, Slender._ "So this  _is_ about Jack." I concluded, subconsciously taking a small step backward. 

        "He did ask me to check on you, yes. But he did not force me. I would appreciate it very much if you gave me at least that credit."

        "Fair enough. I'm sorry." Maybe he  _was_ just trying to look out for me..

        "That's quite alright." he nodded, adjusting his collar. "I would, however, like to see the injury."

        "It's  _fine,_  Slender."

        "Let. Me. See. It." he insisted firmly, squaring his shoulders as he spoke. I knew there was no use in arguing with him, so I huffed and moved the hair from my face, revealing the bruise. I figured he probably already knew about it anyway, thanks to the whole psychic thing. He leaned over to look more closely at it, and I tensed up.  _Why the fuck do I keep doing that?_

"It does appear to be a few days old." he noted, ignoring my subtle reaction. "Who did this, Miss Reverie?" 

        I think what struck me most was his lack of even the slightest emotion. Of course he had always been very reserved, but he at least seemed like he gave a shit. But in this conversation, his attitude seemed almost insensitive, like he hardly cared for the mere interaction. And his syntax was definitely different, like he had cared less about that form of communication as well. Like no matter what I told him, he might just shrug it off. Looking back now- I don't know why- but this is what made me so uneasy, but more inclined to tell him the truth. I guess I thought it would keep Jeff from getting in trouble. 

        "Jeff and I got into a fight." I admitted quietly, as to keep any of those potential eavesdroppers from hearing. "But we're fine now."

        "Seems like it was quite the quarrel." he commented nonchalantly, still examining the bruise. 

        "You should see what I left him." I boasted dishonestly with a nervous chuckle.         

        "I haven't noticed a single mark on him." 

        "Oh, they're there." I falsely assured him. "You just can't see them because he covers them up." 

        He looked at me for a second and chuckled lowly, sending a shiver straight down my spine. More and more frequently, some little thing Slender man did would set me off like that. I was becoming seriously concerned. 

        "Let's just keep this to ourselves then, shall we?" he laughed, obviously aware that I was lying. "I'd hate to be the killer of such a beautiful relationship." 

         _Okay, now it's far more than strange. This is almost not even him._ "Well, then what are we going to tell Jack?" I stammered, taking another small step back.

        "I'll just tell him that I read your mind and that you have told him the truth the first time. He'll certainly believe me above all others." He remarked slyly, stretching his shoulders as he spoke. 

         _Since when does Slenderman lie?_

"Great." I smiled anxiously, stumbling backwards once more.  _I need an excuse to leave. I'll call Jeff telepathically! No! Slender will hear me! Wait.._

I focused in and examined his body language, wondering if he had even heard me at all. He just stood there as still and evenly as before.  _Can he even hear me?_

_Slender?_

 Nothing. I tried again. 

_Slenderman, can you hear me?_

Once again, there was no response.

        "Would you like to discuss the incident, child?" he cooed, leaning closer to me. "It might be therapeutic to vent any residing stress."

          _Jeffery! Come to Slender's room and say you need me for something! Quickly!_ I called silently but desperately to Jeff.

        "No, thank you, I'm alright." I answered, trying not to let him  see that my chest was rising and falling much faster than before. I prayed internally that Jeff had heard me. 

        "Are you quite sure?" Slender persisted, stepping towards me to where there was hardly an arm's length between us. I stumbled backward and fell back onto the nightstand. He took this as an excuse to move closer, but I regained my balance as quickly as I could, holding out my hand as a gesture for him to stop moving. He gently reached out for my hand and pushed it aside, taking yet another step closer.

         _Jeff, please hurry,_  I prayed.

        Just as he had me backed up against the nightstand and wishing for a miracle, there was an insistent knock at the door. I tried not to be conspicuous as I let out a sigh of relief. Slender took an abrupt step backward at the sound, whipping his head around to watch the door almost anxiously. He eyed it as he called out. 

        "Who is it?" he asked the visitor suspiciously. 

        "Is Reverie in there?" Jeff replied, skimming past Slender's question.

        "She is. In fact, we were just having a little heart-to-heart." Slender replied, turning to look at me as if to tell  _me._ "What is it that you need, sir?" 

        "I, um-" Jeff hesitated.  _Please say something! Anything!_ "Oh, I'm just having a hardcore case of blue-balls and I want to get my dick wet."

        "Oh my god!" I gasped involuntarily in utter shock and disgust. I waited for Slender to scold Jeff for his profanity, but he never did. He just  _laughed_. Slender would  _never_ laugh at something so distasteful. That's when I decided he was not to be trusted.

        "Oh! Well then I apologize for making you wait so long!" he chuckled, approaching the door. He opened it to reveal Jeff as he just stood there staring at him. Even Jeff had questioned Slender's behavior!

        "No worries." Jeff replied, not taking his eyes off Slender for even a second. He reached out for me, and I went gratefully to take his hand. "Sorry to interrupt, dear." he said to me strangely, still staring at Slenderman suspiciously. 

        "That's fine, Jeffrey. Let's go have some sex!" I answered eagerly hurrying him at the door. "Thanks for the chat, Slender!" 

        "Anytime, child, anytime." he answered as we slammed the door behind us.

        "Let's go." I said anxiously to Jeff, dragging him by the hand down the stairwell. 

        "What's going on?" he asked, apparently concerned and confused. I gestured for him to be quiet. "What do you want?" he ignored me, speaking just as loudly as he had before. 

        "I want you so badly baby!" I moaned loudly, gesturing again for him to shut the fuck up.

        "Why are you-"

         _Jeffrey, for the love of god, would you just play along for the moment?!_ I hissed telepathically. 

        "-You so hot?" he finished loudly and unsurely. We reached the second floor, and I continued to drag down the next set of stairs, more and more quickly as we went. 

        "Let's take this to your room, shall we?" I breathed clearly and seductively. 

        "Oh, yeah, baby! I love staring at my serial killer posters when I do you!" he shouted as he tried to keep up with me. I had to keep myself from laughing out loud  at this, but I was unable to stifle it all. "What?" he demanded defensively. 

        "Why would you say that?" I giggled, trying to get control of myself.

        "I was playing along!"

        "You're terrible at it!"         

        He exhaled gruffly, very annoyed by my teasing. "Can't he still hear us?" he reminded me spitefully.

        "Fuck, you're right." I whispered, remembering the problem at hand. "Oh, fuck, Jeffrey; I love it when you talk dirty!" I whined abruptly. We reached the bottom of the steps and I bolted to his room, yanking him along with me. We rushed through the doorway and I released him quickly to slam the door behind us.

        "Okay, now I want answers." he demanded, catching his breath. "what the fuck happened up there?"

        I whipped around to face him. "Slender can't read thoughts anymore." I exhaled sharply.

        "What?"

        "He can't read our minds!"

        "Yeah, I got that, but how do you know?" he challenged, frustrated. 

        "I tested it. He didn't respond."

        "You 'tested it?'"

        "Call him yourself." I insisted. 

        "You're acting crazy."

        "I said call him, Jeffrey!"

        He paused for a second, letting out an exasperated huff. "Nothing." he said finally.

        "See?"

        "Maybe he just didn't care to answer, Rev."

        "Bullshit, he always answers." I dismissed the thought.

        "But he's been in unpredictable spirits lately."

        "That's my point!" I shouted, then- realizing I was being too loud- lowered my voice. "That's just my point. He's been so different lately; he's hardly even himself."

        "He's probably just been stressed out. Aren't you the one that's supposed to take notice of everyone's feelings?"

        "It's Slenderman! What fucking feelings?!"

        "Reverie, listen to yourself. You're being neurotic." 

         _"I'm not fucking crazy!"_ I shrieked, causing the nightstand to fall over, thrashing its contents across the floor. 

He gave me an irritated glance. "Seriously?" he huffed, stepping towards the mess, but I fixed it up telekinetically just as quickly as I had caused it, and he turned back to me. "You need to stop doing that." he scolded, but with a hint of sympathy in his voice.

        "I know, I know.." I sighed. "Just, please try to trust me on this."

        "Rev, I can't just go into this blindly because you had some sort of bad feeling."

        "The last time you said something like that about one of my little 'bad feelings', my instinct turned out to be valid." I accused defiantly.

        "Oh yeah? And when was that?"

        "When Offenderman got here!" I snapped, and he shut right the fuck up. He gazed past me, avoiding my "eyes" as he ran his fingers through his thick, black hair. "Look, Jeffrey, if you can't bring yourself to trust me for my sake, then do it for Sally."

        That was the key word.

        "W-Why would this affect Sally?" he stammered nervously.

        "Sally clings to Slenderman. If we have to be cautious, so should she."

        "He wouldn't hurt her, would he?" he inquired passionately, raising his voice.

        "Do you want to wait and find out?"

        And there was the final breakthrough.

        "What do we do?" he demanded anxiously. "We can't tell her; she's already had so many issues with fearing men. Slender and I are the only guys in the house she trusts enough to be alone with!"

        "Then you'll step in more often for now." I concluded, trying to sound as even and calm as possible so not to upset him more. Just a second he was so condescending, but just the thought of any harm coming to Sally will send this man into hysterics. I wondered whether or not I should be offended, but I felt no reason to be. He just cared very deeply for her; how could I be angry about that? I suppose I was more curious about  _why_  she was so severely important to him. It didn't bother me, I just wanted to know.

        "What if she gets suspicious?" he worried. "You don't think she'll miss the man she calls Father?"

        "She's just a little girl! We'll simply have to distract her for a while."

        "She's not just a little girl, Rev." he said more softly, shaking his head as he stared intently at his feet. "There are part of that kid's head that are much more complex than any of us can imagine." I stared at him, unable to fully comprehend his meaning. "I've seen it." he said. "In a weird way, she's much older than any of us." 

        "Well, we'll have to try." I persisted, taking a small step closer in hopes of reaching him more intimately. "We only have so many options here."

        He sighed, glancing back up at me. "Okay," he agreed finally with a faint smile, "I'll do what I can."

        "Thanks, Jeff." I sighed with relief and leaned over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, then rubbed his shoulder endearingly as I walked past him towards the door. 

        "Wait." He grabbed my hand, and I turned to face him once again. he just stared at me for a moment; his mouth was poised to speak at any time, but his eyes swam in his thoughts. He was searching for the right way to express what he was feeling without sounding like too much of a pussy. I could feel his desperate frustration as it radiated from his fingertips into my skin. I tried to offer some contribution to his thought process, but he cut me off.

        "No, don't help me, Rev." he declined my offer. "I want to do it right this time. On my own." I nodded and waited patiently for him to make his assertion. "I know it's probably fucked up that I didn't listen to you at first-" 

        "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Jeffrey-"

        "Let me finish." he ordered, then let out a sigh. "Please."

        I nodded respectfully, and he continued.

        "I know it would seem fucked up, and maybe it is. But I just wanted to let you know, not as your boyfriend, but as a fellow adult, that.." He stopped suddenly and groaned in frustration. 

         _"Moron,"_  he thought.

        It felt like my heart had stopped as the sound buzzed almost inaudibly in my head. The sound was static, like radio feedback that overpowered his voice so loudly so i could hardly hear him. But I heard him. He didn't even want me to hear him, but I heard him.

        "As just myself.." he continued, but I was hardly hearing him. "I wanted to say i respect your account of Sally's needs, even when you have a right to be angry with me..."

        He droned on, but I was trapped in my own internal terror and confusion.  _How the fuck could this happen? Should I even tell him? What do I do?_

"...And that I'm with you on this." he concluded with a sigh of relief. He searched my empty eyes for a validation of his words, and I wanted to give it to him, but I was far too lost in what internal suffering I was failing to comprehend. "Are you okay?" he asked, clued into my probably more than apparent instability.

        "I'm fine." I replied, trying my best to act natural. "Thank you for saying all that; I know it was probably difficult." I was really trying to sound reassuring, but I may have said too much in praise. He gets really uncomfortable when openly commended, sometimes offended. I just hoped that he didn't feel patronized. 

        His face hardened as he exhaled sharply. Then he smiled and shook his head, and not knowing what I mean, I grabbed his hand, hoping his feelings would read themselves to me through touch like they always seemed to. But he pulled away.

        "Don't do that." he commanded, and my hand fell back to my side. "Just.. I have to take a shower, so I'll see you later." He nodded to the door, and I waited for him to say something else. I don't know what I expected him to say; I just wanted to hear that he wasn't angry at me. I got no such answer.

        "Please leave." he confirmed more assertively, gesturing towards the door with both arms. For whatever torturous reason, I stayed put. He exhaled again and grabbed me by the elbow to lead me himself to the door he had mentioned twice before. He swung it open an sent me past it. I turned back as he released me. 

        "Jeff, I-" I started, but he slammed the door in my face. "I'm sorry!" I called to him. There was no answer. "I love you." I said more quietly, seemingly just to the door between us.


	12. XI

**Jeff the Killer's Point of View**

        "Wait." I stopped her quickly (if not desperately), grabbing her hand. She gazed back at me with respect and compassion, and I just felt so.. inadequate.  _She knows how to get what she wants, but she does it the right way. By respecting my boundaries, and looking out for others. She's so caring and respectable, and she doesn't even know it! How can I, the most incredible and untrustworthy person in the whole fucking house, have the right to tell her? How do I tell her? I have to tell her! God damn, I just can NOT fuck this up!_

"Jeffrey, honey, is it about-" 

        "No, don't help me, Rev." I practically begged her. She stopped talking. "I want to do it right this time." I informed her breathlessly. "On my own." She nodded and waited for me to continue, but I couldn't speak. But I just had to. So I let it all roll out. 

        "I know it's probably fucked up that I didn't listen to you at first-" 

        "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Jeffrey-" 

        "Let me finish."  _God, this is so fucking infuriating!_ Her mouth snapped shut, and I reminded myself not to take it out on her. "Please." I sighed. She nodded again. 

        I took a deep breath, gathered my courage, and started again. 

        'I know it would seem fucked up, and maybe it is. But I just wanted to let you know, not as your boyfriend, but as a fellow adult, that.."

         _Ugh, you fucking moron! You must sound so fucking stupid to her! "Boyfriend?" How ridiculous! You're her psychotic parasite, her chore at best! And as if that wasn't bad enough, you had the audacity to call yourself an ADULT. You're a fucking CHILD, a twenty-three-year-old fucking CHILD._

I dropped her hand, which had always seemed to read my heart like Braille. I didn't want her to know just how deeply I loved her. That would be my own guilty pleasure to keep. 

        "Just as myself," I corrected, "I wanted to say I respect your account of Sally's need, even when you have a right to be angry with me. More than a right, you have every reason.." I laughed at my stupid audacity. "I know I'm a dick, and I don't always listen, even to what I know is best for me. But I know one thing is for fucking certain: that you will do what's best for everyone. And I admire the hell out of that. I know it can't be easy to talk to my dumb arrogant ass about important shit, but you do it anyway, because you care about everyone's safety more than your dignity. No, dignity is the wrong word. More than you care about the way I see you. Yeah!" I reassured myself. "But I see you, Rev. I don't know if you know that, or if I ever told you, but I do see you. I see how smart and independent you are, I see how open-minded you can be, and I see how fucking beautiful-"

         _Too much! Way too much,_ my arrogance said.

        " _Beautiful ly_ you.. work out the problems at hand."  _Nice save, dipshit._ "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I trust you and that I'm with you on this."

        I exhaled deeply, thankful that the horrors of self-expression wouldn't bother me again today. It was exhausting! But I had no idea I would have to worry about the level of reception.

        She just stared at me. I thought maybe if she had eyes I might see some more emotion in her face, but even as I looked closer, I saw nothing. Had she even listened?

        "Are you okay?" I asked as calmly as possible, trying very hard not to jump to conclusions. 

        It looked like my question sort of snapped her back to reality, and she flashed a little smile. "I'm fine." she said. "Thank you for saying all that. I know it was probably difficult." 

        She hadn't heard a damn thing.

        At that point, I was too angry to even lash out. Fuck her, I thought; she didn't even deserve to see that I cared enough to be angry! Why waste my breath? If she didn't care to listen when I had something positive to say, then I shouldn't have cared enough to say it. But I had. I did care, and so I was being punished by means of humiliation and disappointment. I felt like such an idiot for trying. There I was, pouring my heart to her for the first time in my fucking life, and did she notice? No. She didn't care, so neither did I. 

        I laughed out loud at my dumb-ass self and lead her out of the room. She even tried to touch me at one point, as if she wanted to understand, but it was bullshit. She didn't care to understand, and I didn't want to let her. I just wanted her to leave. More importantly, I wanted to be alone, so I could be an idiot in private.  _Let me keep my dignity at least!_

Once she was finally out the door, I heard her mumble the words from the other side. "I love you." she had said. My strength began to fail me and I wanted only to hold her, but I just couldn't face her yet. Instead I convinced myself that she was maliciously trying to manipulate me, and I sulked in silence until the sound of her footsteps had faded completely. 

* * *

**Reverie's Point of View**

         _What the fuck just happened? Did I just imagine it? The sound of his voice in my head seemed so worn by static, yet so clear. I couldn't have imagined it. It must have been his thought. I can't describe it; I just KNOW._

_What was it that he said? It was so brief. Was he even talking to me? Okay, Reverie, think! God, I can't remember. What was he talking about? We hd discussed Slender's condition.. Then how it may affect Sally.. Ugh! I don't remember! No wonder Jeff was so pissed, I completely spaced out! He must feel so rejected right now.. Wait, can Jeff the Killer even feel rejected? Or is he just too high above everyone else for them to damage him?_

        As my thoughts raced through my head, I started up the stairs to my room. I felt so guilty not listening to Jeff, but at the same time I couldn't possibly know if he even cared. He clearly didn't want to discuss it yet, and I knew better than to force him to. Besides, I had bigger problems than him at the moment. 

        I opened my bedroom door to find Jack sitting in a slouch on the end of my bed, patiently waiting for me. He looked up at me from the scalpel he'd been toying with as I entered, and sat up straighter. 

        "Reverie." he greeted me almost warmly. 

        "What do you want, Jack?" I sighed, not resentfully, just tiredly. He sensed this. 

        "You okay?"

        "Just a lot of shit going on today." I ran my fingers through my hair and plopped onto my bed beside him. "Why? What's up?"

        "I just wanted to apologize for the way I came at you earlier." he sighed, making sure to give me full eyeless contact. "You've been through a lot these past few days, and you don't deserve to have me harassing you. I guess I'm just worried about you."

        "Don't worry about me, Jack." I assured him, reaching over to pat his hand endearingly with my own. "I'm fine."

        "Don't say that, Rev." he shook his head, chuckling subtly. 

        "Well, why not?" I challenged curtly, almost angrily. What right did he have to invalidate me?

        "Because you're not, Rev! You're not fine. You always want to be so brave, you want to do everything alone, you want to seem so strong, but you just can't, Rev! Yes, you're brave; yes, you're strong, but you can't be this bulletproof temple that you want to be! You just can't, Rev, because you're only making it harder on yourself. And I won't let you do that." He finally paused his rant for a second to notice that I had recoiled from his shouting. He sighed and grabbed my hand, holding it in both of his passionately. "I can't let you do that, Reverie. You're so strong, but you can't do it all alone. You don't have to anymore." I teared up as he spoke. "I'm here now."

        "Jack, I don't want to hurt you!" I cried, covering my face with my free hand. I hated to cry in front of him. "You're such a wonderful person, and you're  _family_ , but that's just why you don't deserve to watch this. It's not fair to you."

        "Did I ask for  _fair_?" He took off his mask with one hand to reveal his amused as he laughed, then immediately went back to grab my hand again. "I don't want what you think is  _fair_ , I want to be there for you! I want to help you, even if it hurts me! You're my little sister; how could I look the other way when you cry? What kind of person would that make me? What kind of brother?" He released my hand to bring both of his to my face, using one to move my hand, and the other to tilt my chin upward, gently forcing me to face him. "You're worth it, Rev. Don't doubt that for even a second." 

        I collapsed as a sobbing mess into his arms, and he held me as tightly as I had so badly needed him to. I was overwhelmed by the pain that had been building inside me, and I just needed to release it. I couldn't stand it anymore. I had been dealing with all of the stress of isolation even after I'd moved in to the Mansion, because isolation is not in the setting; it's in the soul. What could I say to him? I could tell him that my life is an outdated newspaper, with headlines over stories of my past that I had yet to read. But the daggers of my memories have shredded through this paper, and the impulsivity of the fire in my heart has set the remnants ablaze. How could I ask him to watch them burn? How could I even let him?

        "Let me help you, Reverie." he pleaded softly as he held me. "You don't have to be alone anymore."

        "I don't deserve you!" I sobbed into his chest. "What made you so damn kind?"

        "I'm not kind." he replied genuinely. "I'm a heartless murderer, but I once knew a little girl named Melanie. She was strong, and witty as hell, but most of all,  _she_  was kind. Even when she grew up and became a psycho demon freak," he laughed, "she cared for others. She taught me that there can be room for both qualities in all people." He gently positioned me to look at him again, and smiled warmly. "Now I have to teach her."

        "But what if you can't?" I asked almost inaudibly, my voice breaking as the tears rolled down my cheeks. 

        He sighed, thinking on how to answer my question simply. Finally, he said, "She's too avid a learner. If I can't teach her, then she must have already taught herself."


	13. XII

**Reverie's Point of View**

        Several days later, the whole house might have appeared normal (dare I state the unattainable concept). The thing with Jeff had blown over silently (yet unaddressed), Jack had stopped pestering me, and the other residents went on about their lives. Jeff and I had been making an effort to spend more time with Sally, and the Mansion seemed to be as social and free of suspicion as ever. But my nightmares hadn't ceased even slightly, and Slenderman continued to make me uneasy. No one spoke of any of the events that had occurred just over a week before, but I knew they couldn't be swept beneath the rug so easily. I just knew it. 

        I sat with Jeff and Sally in her brightly colored (mostly pink) bedroom as we joined our little hostess for her grand tea party. She'd planned it for days, but the party was not meant for any specific occasion as far as we could tell. We didn't question it, of course. How rude we would be to criticize such lovely invitations! And they were lovely. She had locked us out of her room for hours so she could create these beautiful little cards, strewn with pink glitter and heart-shaped confetti, that read: "Sally's Grand Tea Party! Bring Your Own Boa." I adored it so much that I decided I'd frame it on my bedroom wall (after the party of course; I had needed it to get into the highly-exclusive social gathering). I had even gone out and found a couple of boas at an old thrift shop. Yeah, I had to kill some people to get them, but I got them alright; a black one for me, a red one for Jeff, and a pink one for Sally. She didn't need it; she had plenty of her own, but her face lit up when I handed it to her.

        "Is this for me?" she asked happily.

        "It sure is." I smiled, draping the feathers over her shoulders. "A great hostess deserves a great new look."

        "Thank you, Miss! Thank you so much!" she squealed, excitedly throwing her arms around my waist.  _What a darling little girl!_

"Of course, love!" I knelt to face her. "Don't you look so pretty in your party dress!" She truly did. Her pale pink petticoated dress beautifully accented her white complexion, and her pretty little curls were swept back to reveal her hauntingly gorgeous green eyes. The child was the definition of youth and beauty, and I tried not to feel that those qualities suited her so tragically. Her youth would remain eternal, and her beauty may never be known. But I knew her, and I considered it a blessing.

        She blushed happily as Jeff leaned over to me on his hilariously small assigned seat. "Please tell me I don't have to wear that." he whispered as Sally set the table. 

        "You wouldn't possibly want to disappoint her, would you?" I pleaded him softly. "Look how happy she is!"

        He sighed. "Fine." He rolled his eyes with a little smile. "At least tell me I get to use the red one."

        "It's all yours." I giggled, handing him the boa. He wrapped it around his neck with a dramatic flair, causing both Sally and I to giggle. We are all seated in our assigned play chairs around Sally's tiny tea table, and Sally poured the "tea".

        "This is wonderful. What is this?" Jeff complimented, sipping the air from his little cup. 

        "Chamomile," she replied sweetly. "With a spot of ginger."

        "Ah, that's the tang I taste." he grinned at her, and she giggled. 

        "No, that would be blood." she laughed innocently, and the table fell silent. I was shocked; I had never heard her say anything like that before! Up until then I had no idea why she lived among the psychos. Don't judge a book by its teddy bear, I guess.

        A brief moment later, a twisted grin spread across Jeff's face. "Just to be clear,  _that_ is why I love this kid." he established, taking another swig. Sally giggled happily, and I followed Jeff's lead. He was right; in a strange way, it was kind of adorable.

        We went on complimenting her setup. It was childish in material, yes; but far too elaborate and organized to be the work of a child. Over the past few days, I was beginning to see more and more of what Jeff meant about her. She was a very well-mannered and intuitive little girl. Far too much so to be merely eight years old.

        "Oh, Charlie is becoming very late!" she groaned, standing from her chair. We stood to greet her politely as she pleated her skirts. "Would you please excuse me for a moment? I must find Charlie. He's so silly at times; he probably forgot that the party would take place this afternoon." We nodded empathetically and she dismissed herself to approach her bed.

        "So what's with the bear?" I asked Jeff in a whisper. 

        "Imaginary friend. Try not to think about it too hard." he suggested, and I thought nothing of it. As slender had said all those months before, it was perfectly normal behavior for a girl her age.

        "Charlie?" she called anxiously. We turned to see that she had torn the pillows off her bed searching for the bear, and was turning to look in the closet nervously. She slid the door along its track and called his name again. Peering in, she let out a sigh of relief. "There you are, Charlie! What are you doing in there?" She dragged the large stuffed bear out of the closet and perched him on the now very messy bedding to adjust his bowtie. "At least you're dressed." she sighed.

        She carried him to the tea table and placed him in the remaining seat between Jeff and I, which had a paper with his name on it taped to the back. She instructed him to mind his posture, but the bear ignored her polite request. She sighed in exasperation and fixed him herself, and we (except Charlie) stood to greet her again. We were all seated as she apologized. 

        "My most sincere apologies, lady and gentleman. He's just been so careless lately." She leaned in to whisper just to us, "He's become a bit of an alcoholic." We processed the information dumbly as she turned to Charlie, who had apparently heard her. "Oh, you know you have a problem, Charlie! Don't ask me to hide it! Just look at yourself!" I looked over at the bear to find a little flask sitting next to his teacup. I tried to recall if it had been there before.

        "Can I get in on that, Sally?" Jeff asked, thoroughly amused. She sighed and gestured for him to help himself, muttering something about Charlie being a bad influence. Jeff reached over to grab the flask with a small laugh. Right as I was about to remind him to mind his manners, he opened the flask and tipped it into the teacup carelessly, resulting in the unexpectedly real liquid dumping in his cup and overflowing it. 

        "Oh my god!" Jeff exclaimed, and I burst out laughing. I grabbed the napkin from my lap and started to mop up the clear liquid.

        "It's just water, Jeffrey." I assumed, still laughing, but he wasn't convinced. He brought the flask to his nose nd took a swig from it. A very shocked expression followed. 

        "Sally! Where did you get vodka?!" he sputtered, wiping a dribble from the corner of his mouth. Surprised, I took the flask from him and sniffed it myself. It was, in fact, a flask half-full of peppermint vodka.

        "It's not mine." she defended, though not getting a bit excited. "Like I told you, Charlie has developed a bit of a drinking problem."

        "Have you been drinking this?" he questioned, clearly very concerned.

        "Heavens, no." she replied with disgust, pouring more invisible tea into her cup calmly. "Just the smell of it is intolerable. I would never torture myself so much as to taste it." 

        Jeff started to protest, but I put my hand on his to hush him. "I believe her." I said quietly. Let's not ruin the party." He nodded with a sigh, then lifted his over-filled cup to take a drink of the vodka.

        "Do you happen to know where he gets it?" Jeff asked Sally, and I elbowed him. "What? I'm just curious." he defended.

        "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Miss, but it's quite alright." Sally assured me. "I believe he gets it from Laughing Jack." she replied evenly. 

        "That would explain the candy flavor." I noted, causing Jeff to give me a stern look. "What?" I asked, and he just shook his head as if to dismiss it. 

        "Well I suppose it's time to address the occasion." Sally announced, changing the subject.

        "What occasion?" I asked. 

        "Today is the day that Charlie comes to visit!" she answered excitedly.

        "Isn't he always here?" Jeff asked bluntly, and I elbowed him again. Why would he ask her that? Shouldn't we just be playing along?

        Sally giggled. "You mean there?" she clarified, pointing to Charlie, who sat motionless in his chair. "Jeff, that's a stuffed bear." she giggled at his silliness, causing the both of us to feel very lost. "And you're just a pile of flesh and bones." she pointed out.

        "But I'm an animate, living being." he argued. "Charlie hasn't moved all afternoon."

        "We are more than our bodies, Jeffrey Woods." she grinned mischievously. Jeff stared at her blankly, unable to respond. "Excuse me for a moment." she dismissed herself, but we did not stand with her this time. We just watched the little girl as she prepared.

        From various hiding spaces in her room, Sally gathered her items, and returned with a handful of dead flower petals, a calligraphy pen, a pad of sketch paper, and a blood red candle. She placed the used candle in the center of the table, right on top of a circular cloth that seemed to have been designated for this. She scattered the petals evenly across the table, and moved the teapot to set the pen and paper in its place. Lastly, she unhooked the chain that hung around her neck, which hung with a heart-shaped locket. I had never seen her without it before. I hadn't known why she always wore it, but I hadn't even given it a second thought until she had taken it off. Still I watched patiently, my eyes fixed on the child's deliberate motions.

        She sat back down in her seat at the circular table, and studied our expressions carefully. "The petals are a sign of respect." She noted, seemingly out of nowhere. "The pen and paper are for communication, and the candle is actually made partly from blood." We nodded as she explained.

        "What about the locket?" I pried, curiosity getting the best of me.

        "Oh, the locket.." She bowed her head, avoiding eye contact, and I felt sorry for asking. "They have a taste for sentiment." she replied vaguely. 

        "Who's they?" Jeff pressed, and Sally looked back up at him with a dark smile. Rather than answering her question, however, she held out her hand, looking to receive his. He gave it to her, and she then took mine. She nodded to the bear, who still sat between Jeff and I, and we each unsurely took one of his paws. Once we were all linked together, Sally closed her eyes in concentration. Suddenly the bedroom light burst. I jumped, but she tightened her hand around mine encouragingly, and I did my best to calm down. I had no clue what she was up to, but I trusted her. For whatever reason, of all the people I knew, I put the most amount of absolute trust in this eight-year-old girl. I couldn't explain it if I tried; she just seemed so.. certain. 

        "Okay now, honored guests. I'm going to have to ask you to be very,  _very_ quiet until I tell you otherwise. Not that you asked, but the reason is to avoid alarming them when they arrive. So don't scream or anything, alright? No matter what." She instructed, and we nodded in compliance. "Very well." she concluded. "Let us begin."

        I took a deep breath, doing my best to prepare myself for whatever would come next. I looked over to Jeff, but he displayed no such nervousness. He slouched in his tiny chair, seemingly focused on the undesirable reality that the terrifying Jeff the Killer was holding hands with a teddy bear. Thoroughly amused by the dimly-lit sight of this, I shook my head, then looked back to refocus on Sally.

        "Charlie?" she called out, and the candle at the center of the table flickered lit, a daring flame appearing brightly on the wick. I watched, amazed, as the flame danced over the wax, which heated unnaturally quickly. and dripped down the sides. She called his name again, and the flame brightened, becoming tall enough so that the entire table was lit almost as brightly as an electric LED bulb. I looked across the table to Jeff again, and saw that this time he had taken notice of the event, but he was still very composed. I convinced myself that if it was nothing he needed to be concerned with, then I needn't be concerned myself.

        "Charlie, won't you join us for this affair held in your honor?" Sally sang. "I brought you some petals. I know how much you love them."

        The table rattled before us, and a gentle breeze blew the petals around the tablecloth. The flame brightened again, engulfing the top of the candle in flame as the bloody wax poured down, staining the white cloth like the sheets of a murder scene. My teacup tipped over and dumped real tea onto my lap. Amazed and alarmed, I stared at the liquid, trying to conceptualize its significance. Once again I looked to Jeff, whose uncaring persona had faded entirely to reveal his horrified expression as he clutched both Sally's and Charlie's hands fearfully. I grinned, silently laughing to myself. I had given Sally all of my faith, and no longer was I afraid.

        "what do you mean, Charlie? i don't understand!" Sally called out over the rattling of the tea set on the vigorously shaking table. I watched as the fire engulfed the entire candle, setting the center of the bloody tablecloth on fire along with it. I gasped and instinctively started to stand, but Sally gripped my hand with intensity incomparable to that of a child, and I reluctantly took the hint to remain seated. Jeff appeared to be paralyzed by fright, his eyes glued to the fire that was quickly devouring the tablecloth.

        "Who's here? I can hardly understand you when you shout; you know this! Your voices are all interrupting each other!"

        The pen and paper levitated from the table unharmed, like it had never even touched the flame, though we knew damn well that it had. Sloppily the pen began to scribble across the paper, its ink dripping down like water as it touched the surface.

        "Don't.." Sally deciphered aloud through the ink stains as he wrote.

        "Trust.." 

        The flames were rising, nearing closer and closer to our bodies as we stretched as far as possible away from it without unlinking our hands. I held my breath.

        "Them."

        The fire vanished abruptly as the pen and paper clattered to the unharmed table. Everything appeared exactly as it had before. My sight set on the candle at the center of the table, which was undisturbed. The stains that had spread around it had vanished with the fire. Even the lightbulb on the ceiling was perfectly intact. If the petals hadn't gone missing from the table without a trace, I would have believed it all to be my imagination. 

        Automatically we released each other's hands. My vision immediately raced to Jeff, who was still watching incessantly where the fire had been. I looked to Sally, and saw tears were streaming down her face.

        "Sally, honey, what's the matter?" I cooed maternally, falling out of my chair onto my knees to hold her. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

        "I'm fine." she cried, wiping the tears from her big green eyes. "But someone else is not."

        "Who?" Jeff asked hoarsely, finally freed from his paralysis. 

        "I don't know!" she wailed, allowing herself to fall into me as she sobbed. "Someone's in danger, and I don't know who it is!"

        "Charlie didn't tell you?" I asked calmly, and she shook her head. "Why do you think that is, dear?"

        She sighed, trying to compose herself as she dried her tears again. "He seemed frightened."

        "By what?" Jeff pressed nervously.

        She took a deep breath and detached herself from me. Reaching across the table, she grabbed the paper. She pointed to the ink scribble. "He's afraid of _'them'._ "


	14. XIII

**Jeff the Killer's Point of View**

        Afraid to leave her alone, we spent the remainder of the evening with Sally. We did our best to distract her, but she remained distant, preoccupied by her thoughts. Of course she was scared. I think we all were. Even me. Hell,  _especially_  me. Reverie was so collected that night. I was used to seeing her exceedingly stressed lately, but the second that Sally started crying, she became Reverie's number one priority. I adored it,but I couldn't fight the feeling that she was even more terrified than I was. 

        We finally got Sally to sleep, and we left the room. I shut the door behind us, then turned to see Eyeless Jack, BEN, Laughing Jack, and Jane all lined up to meet us. It was unnerving as fuck, and I couldn't help but feel defensive. 

        "What the fuck are you all looking at?" I demanded, wrapping my arm around Reverie's waist protectively. She just stared at them blankly. 

        "What happened in there?" Eyeless asked firmly.

        I laughed, offended by his suspicion. "What the fuck do you think happened in there?" I raised my voice as I spoke, then moved down the hall to avoid waking Sally. It had been hard enough to get her to sleep as it was. The interrogation panel followed, and I kept hold of Reverie.

        "Don't walk away from us!" Jane ordered.

        "He's just trying to keep himself from waking Sally." Reverie explained calmly.

        "I don't recall addressing you." Jane sneered. I tightened my grip around Reverie's waist to keep myself from smacking th bitch. I knew Rev would stay calm.

        Reverie took a deep breath. "I'm just trying to-"

        "I don't care." Jane snapped viciously. "Don't step in where you're not wanted."

         _What the fuck is her problem?_ I took a deep breath, forcing myself to keep my composure as I anchored to Reverie. 

        "I'm sure Jeffrey is fully capable of speaking for himself." Jane hissed.

        Reverie inhaled slowly and carefully; I could feel her temperature rising just by holding her. She was really trying hard to stay calm, but as far as I knew, she never really liked Jane much. She openly disliked Jane's passive-aggressive attitude, but I'd never seen them in action like this. "I'm not speaking for him, Jane. I only wanted to say-"

        "Don't even pretend that you have any type of  _SAY_. Not here, not in your relationship, not with anyone. You are no better than anyone else. In fact, you're probably much less." She chuckled to herself. "I saw the bruise on your face. God, even Jeffrey knows you're worthless."

        "Jealous whore!" I ripped myself from Reverie and stormed forward, but before I could so much as get a grip on my knife, Reverie lunged at her, screaming with enough terrifying force that her pale face turned bright red with rage.

       _"I'll fucking kill you!"_ she shrieked, and shoved Jane so hard that the breath was knocked from her lungs before her body could even hit the floor. Jane's back slammed against the tile, and she gasped for air as she pulled a a pocket knife from her bra. Reverie knocked it out of her hand and the knife slid across the floor. As they struggled against each other, both reaching for the knife, the other four of us just watched in horrified awe. There had never been a full-blown bitch fight in the Mansion before. I'm not sure why, but my better judgement kept me from jumping in. Maybe I just knew better than to cross my girl when she was like this (I had learned my lesson the first time I tried). Maybe I just wanted to watch them fight. Everyone else seemed to; Laughing Jack just popped a few candies in his mouth and cackled in amusement, and BEN actually pulled out a digital camera, exhaling at the sight of the scene like a porn-addicted virgin. I looked back at the fight to find that Reverie had indeed torn Jane's shirt open, revealing her black lace bra. I gulped and looked away just in time to see Eyeless Jack moronically jumping in to break them up.

        "Dude, what the fuck are you doing?!" I shouted anxiously, but he proceeded to grab Reverie's shoulders as she pinned herself on top of Jane. He tried to tear her away, but Reverie kept whaling on her, generally ignoring the interference. Surprised by this, I wondered why Reverie hadn't already taken advantage of her ability. She was fighting full force, and she was definitely angry enough to lose her telekinetic control, but she didn't. Even with Jack trying to hold her back she kept fighting without the additional power. Was she just trying to fight fair?

        Eyeless finally pulled hard enough to affect Reverie's hold on her victim, and Jane was allowed the opportunity to claw at her face. One of her acrylic nails hooked onto Reverie's empty eye socket, and Reverie let out an ear-piercing cry. Blood streamed from the cavity, dripping from her chin onto Jane's mask. Reverie grabbed her by the bloody mask and bashed the back of her head into the floor. As Jane reached for her head in pain, Reverie suddenly released her. Jack tore her off of Jane, and Reverie just stood there compliantly and held her bleeding eye, trying to catch her breath. Thinking that he had somehow accomplished something, Jack loosened his grip on her. She kept breathing calmly for a long moment, and Jane started to sit up slowly. Things were beginning to calm down, and everyone just stood silently.

        Abruptly, Reverie pulled herself from Jack's grasp and grabbed the forgotten knife off the floor. He tried to tackle her again, but she shoved him off as she swiftly threw herself on top of Jane. Jane tensed her every muscle as much as she possibly could and waited to feel the cut of the blade, but she never did. Reverie shoved her back against the floor with one hand, holding out the knife by the blade with the other. We just watched dumbly. It looked as if she was  _offering_  it to Jane. 

        Just as confused as we were, Jane stared at the knifes extended handle, breathing heavily to catch up with her pulse. Reverie glared down at Jane, blood still falling down her cheek.

        "Take the knife." she barked. Jane stared at her. "I said take the fucking knife!" Reverie screeched, and Jane quickly obeyed. Reverie let her go and rose to her knees. "Stab me at any time." she instructed vaguely. 

        Reverie proceeded to tear Jane's mask off, revealing the horribly burned and mutilated face behind it. Her skin was almost a leathery tan, and all of her facial hair was singed off. She truly looked disgusting. We all gasped, and Jane screamed helplessly, covering her face with both hands, still holding the knife with one. Then Reverie ripped off the wig, and the black curls fell in a heap beside her. Jane moved the hand that held the knife to conceal her hairless head, and cried desperately beneath her palm.

        "How does it feel to be exposed, Jane the Killer?!" Reverie taunted. "Now I've exposed your deepest and most inescapable sadnesses, just like you exposed mine!" She yanked Jane's hand from her face and pinned it to the tile beside her head, leaving the hand with the knife free. "Now everyone can see your pain, too!"

        "Get off!" Jane cried helplessly.

        "Stab me, bitch!" Reverie shouted in her face viciously. "I'm adding insult to injury, just like you did to me! Retaliate!"

        Jane whimpered helplessly, but gripped the handle of the knife as she slowly moved it from her head. With a shaking hand, she poised it at Reverie's jugular. Eyeless Jack took a step towards them, but I held my hand up, instructing him not to. She was expecting this. Jane had no power over her. We held our breaths in anticipation of what might follow.

        Jane dropped the knife, and it tumbled of her chest and clattered to the floor beside her. Reverie nodded curtly, not at all surprised by Jane's forfeit. She let go of Jane's wrist and stood over her intimidatingly. She kicked the wig and mask over to Jane, who quickly grabbed the items and put them back on her head. She then stared up at Reverie fearfully, just waiting to be dismissed. 

        "I never saw myself above you, Jane." Reverie sighed sadly. "or anyone else, despite what you may think. I knew I was worthless, but I NEVER maliciously hurt others the way that you do. Whatever you have against me, whether it's jealousy, or resentment, or maybe you're just right out  _mean_ , that is NOT my weakness. It's yours. You are a coward. You only have enough strength to stab at someone and run. Just a moment ago you had the had the opportunity to literally stab me, but you couldn't do it, because then you would've been faced with the aftermath. You're afraid of the consequences, and now-"

        Reverie leaned over, picked up the knife, and held the handle out for Jane to take. 

        "You can be afraid of me."

        Jane stared up at her, unsurely taking the knife. We all watched in awe as Reverie started to leave. She was already at the base of the stairs when Jane stopped her. 

        "Why didn't you use your powers?" She called out, and Reverie turned back to her. "You could have really hurt me, but you didn't. Why?" 

        We all turned to look at Reverie, waiting for her to answer.

        She just laughed sadly, shaking her head. "Because I didn't have to." she answered softly. 

        And without another word, she turned back to the staircase and ascended. The five of us turned to look at each other dumbly as he made it to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. BEN turned off the camera and put it away silently as LJ reached out to help Jane.

        "Don't touch me." she snapped, shoving his hand away from her. She stood on her own and adjusted her wig as she stormed to her room. Eyeless Jack, Laughing Jack, BEN, and I just stood there strangely as we individually processed the event. 

        EJ cleared his throat. "Should I go talk to-"

        "No." I advised, shaking my head with clear emphasis. "No one should even breathe near her until tomorrow, including myself."

        "Can I at least keep the video?" BEN asked hopefully. I sighed and shook my head in amusement.

        "Quietly." I whispered to him, smiling a bit. I couldn't help but relate to the little freak. He bolted to his bedroom joyfully as I turned to LJ, ready to be done with the whole thing. 

        "By the way," I said, pulling the flask from my sweatshirt pocket and placing it in his hand. "Try to keep your drinks to yourself." He watched me curiously as I pat his shoulder, passing him to head towards my own bedroom door.


	15. XIV

**Reverie's Point of View**

        I woke up in the middle of the night from a night terror. This time Slender had thrown me to a pack of wolves, and I had the great privilege of watching and feeling every bit of the pain as my body was slowly and surely torn to pieces and devoured. I reached across the bed for Jeff, but found that he hadn't joined me that night. Remembering my little interaction with Jane those short hours before, I rolled back onto my side. I tried to close my eyes, but the guilt kept me awake. I hated myself for what I'd done to her. She had been a bitch, but not enough to deserve that sort of humiliation. Whether I liked her or not, she was a tenth of the people I knew, and I felt that I needed to respect her. I refused to become the monster the world once though that I was.

        Eventually I gave up and flicked the light of my bedside lamp on. The bulb illuminated my bedroom, revealing the little girl that ha been lurking in the darkness. 

        "Melanie!" I hissed, jolting from the surprise. I sat up in my bed. "What are you doing here?"

        "I came to see you, obviously." she grinned. She looked older than I remembered. She was clearly a few inches taller, and her facial structure was becoming more defined. When I looked past her smile, I saw her taste for mischief and wit, and when I studied her eyes, I saw that they were the same deep brown. She beamed as brightly as she had before, but when I looked more closely, I could tell that she had known pain. 

        "Well you scared me," I scolded her with a smile, "but I'm happy to see you."

        She laughed, leaning against the wall across the room casually. "Likewise, friend."

        "How old are you now?" I asked.

        "Nope! No hints!" She shook her head, still grinning ear to ear. "Come on, you know better!"

        "Do I?"

        "Get up, lazy." she laughed, ignoring my question and approaching my bedside. She held out a hand, seeking my own.

        "Where are we going?"

        "Who cares?"

        "I do!" I laughed.

        "My arm is getting tired." she sang obnoxiously, holding the extended arm with her other hand for support.

        "Tell me where we're going first."

        "You know what, Reverie? You used to be fun. Now you're all lame and lazy." she teased.

        "I am not!" I chuckled.

        "Then take my hand already!"

        I did, and in the blink of an eye, we were transported to the back fence of an extensive schoolyard, standing on the outside looking in. It looked like a pretty large public school, brightly colored and vibrant with fun and youth. Recess appeared to be in session, and we watched silently for a moment as the children played, the sweet sound of laughter and squeals and tetherball chains filling our ears. 

        "Are you cutting class to be here with me, Mel? Are you just a little thug now?" I giggled, feeding on the positive vibes that filled the air. I looked over to Melanie, who watched in dreamy wonder as a couple of little girls played tetherball. She didn't turn to look back at me, but I noticed her face fall at the the sound of my question.

        "No, this isn't my school." she answered, still avoiding looking at me.

        "Then why are we here?" I asked cautiously, afraid to somehow hurt her feelings.

        She sighed longingly. "I like to watch the other kids play sometimes." She fell silent for a moment as she gazed into the playground. "It looks fun."

        I didn't know what to say. I had questions, but it felt wrong to ask them so soon. Suddenly she turned to me bravely. "Come on." she pipped, falsely cheerful. She turned and started down the adjacent sidewalk.

        "Now where are we going?" I asked curiously.

        "To  _my_  school." she answered. Then she grinned at me. "Race you there!" 

        And she was off. She was a very fast runner, thanks to her longer-than-average legs. But my legs were longer. I ran after her, and caught up to her relatively quickly. We reached our destination in a tie.

        As we neared the house, I slowed, taking in the dreary woods around me. We had gotten there unrealistically soon; as I recalled this house was in the middle of nowhere.

        “Yeah, it’s the same house.” Melanie answered my unspoken question. “But it’s very different now. A lot has changed.”

        “How much time has passed?”

        “Why don’t you go find out?” she smiled. I laughed at her teasing refusal to let up any further  
details, but did as she suggested. As I ascended the steps leading up to the run-down porch, the wooden stairs screeched beneath my feet. Trying to ignore the eerie feeling the sound left me with, I continued on my way to the door as Melanie followed behind.

        Once faced with the door, I paused. I was still relentlessly haunted by the horrible memories of  
Jack’s abuse, and the unsettling dementedness of my father. I couldn’t stand the thought that this was once my life, let alone that this was once my brother’s. The memories infected my sleep. The ideas that followed served me that much worse. I didn’t know if I could go through it again.

        “You can do it.” Melanie encouraged patiently behind me. I nodded, took a deep breath, and turned the knob.

        The door opened into what seemed like an entirely different house. The wooden floor was rid  
of the grungy gothic rugs that had once been there, and the hall was lit by actual light bulbs rather than the candles that were strategically scattered atop the shelves before. The walls were painted white and the room was generally very typical of a family home, but cobwebs still hung from the walls, reminding me of the despondent memories that still lived within them.

        ”Where are your parents?” I asked softly.

        ”You mean where are  _your_  parents.”

        "Where are  _our_  parents, then?” I compromised.

        "Mother is in her bedroom as always, but Father doesn’t live here anymore.” she explained, walking towards a bookshelf on the wall and skimming through the titles casually.

        ”Did he get a divorce?”

        ”No, he got  _arrested_.” she answered simply. I couldn’t help but laugh at her joke in surprise and amusement, though I realized that she probably hadn’t intended it. I stifled my giggles a second later and cleared my throat, trying my damndest not to sound so insensitive. A grin spread across her face once she caught the joke, and she started laughing too, letting me know that she wasn’t offended.

        "Sorry, I’m too immature for my own good.” I coughed, still courteously trying to cover up my  
giggling. But she laughed freely.

        "We’re very immature.” she corrected with a smile. Then her smile began to fall into a more  
serious expression. “This is your past, too, Reverie. You’re giggling at your own expense. If you choose to do so, that’s fine. It’s actually not a bad trait. Just don’t forget what you’re laughing at.” I stared at her, unsure whether or not she was judging me. It was a stupid thought; why would my younger self judge me? But still I wanted her to like me. I wanted her to know that she grew up to be someone that she wanted to be. She flashed a little smile, and I felt better. I followed behind her as she walked easily away from the bookshelf and into the adjoined living  
room, continuing to answer my question.

        "One day he went into town for more whiskey. While he was out, guess he started screaming  
messages of the doom and despair at everyone; surprise, surprise. It wasn’t at all unusual of him, but he probably just shouted the wrong stuff at the wrong people. The clerk denied Father any alcohol, and he started beating the man, telling him he’d rot for his sins, or something like that.”

        "Nice way to get a police record.”

        She chuckled sadly. “Yeah.”

        She stopped in the center of the room, where there were two little desks standing face to face. Books were scattered around the room; their titles ranging from “Where the Wild Things Are” to “Pride and Prejudice”. On a wall to the front of the room hung a large black chalkboard, and by the looks of the white streaks all over the board, it had seen quite a bit of use.

        ”We were home-schooled?” I asked, brushing my fingers along the surface of one of the desks. I felt a sort of engraving beneath my fingertips, and after examining it further, I saw it was where Jack had carved his name. I smiled at the thought of a younger him, curious and bright.

        "You could say that.” she shrugged.

        I wondered. “By your-”

        Melanie shot me a sharp look, and I groaned, frustrated with both her stubbornness and my  
inability to just say it right the first time.

        "By  _our_  mother?” I corrected. She shook her head. “Who, then?”

        ”Look around.” She smiled, absolutely refusing to give me any hints, regardless of how minor.  
Letting the slightly annoying fact go, I moved closer to the wall on my right, peering at the singular picture frame that hung there. In the ancient-looking picture was Melanie, looking about as old as she did there with me. She was smiling and blocking her face from the camera shyly and playfully.

        ”Jack took the photo.” I inferred. “I can’t imagine I would have smiled at my mother like that.” Melanie nodded, seemingly pleased with my reasoning. I turned my attention to the floor, where a book cover caught my eye. Curiously I bent down to pick it up, running my fingers across the cover, which read: “NATURE and Other Writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson”. I recalled the work; I remembered reading the book several times throughout my life long after my little accident. I had always had such a deep connection to Emerson’s work. His beliefs on self-reliance was practically my religion. Was this where it had started?

        I opened the cover to the title page, where there was a little note written in chicken-scratch. After struggling to decipher the messy handwriting, I read it aloud.

        "To Melanie, ‘Every spirit builds itself a house, and beyond its house a world; and beyond its world a heaven…” I recognized the quote immediately and smiled. Then I thought for a moment more. “Jack taught me everything I know.” I remembered.

        Melanie nodded. “He was really quite the tutor. Very patient.”

        ”Of course Mother didn’t teach us. She hardly left her bedroom.”

        Melanie nodded again. I turned back to the picture frame. “Jack took the responsibility on his  
own.” I recalled, admiring the photograph.

        ”He just wanted a normal childhood for you. Or as normal as possible.” she explained, shaking her head. “Mother couldn’t give it to you, even without the stress of having Father around.”

        ”Or she wouldn’t.” I debated with a little huff. Melanie just shrugged sadly.

        I sighed, trying to process the seemingly infinite memories as they flooded my brain. The long hours he spent with me; the frustration he must have felt! He had no one to teach him, so he taught us both. And he’s never said a thing of it. All this time, I thought I had learned myself, but I owed him everything. Literally everything.

        ”Why couldn’t I just go to the public school?” I asked.

        ”Mother saw the concept of public anything as corrupt.” she answered, her face falling as she spoke. “She tied the school system to Christianity, feeling that real demons reigned under hypocrisy, and Christianity- to her- relied upon the concept.”

        "How so?” I pressed, suddenly realizing I knew next to nothing about Christianity. Not that I was sacrificed to Satan or anything.

        She thought about it for a second. “Well, I suppose that without a devil, Christians would have no one to threaten other followers with.” she theorized. “Posing the question: without a devil, is  
there really a God?”

        ”That was her take on it?”

        ”That’s what you and Jack were raised to believe.” she expanded. “Jack didn’t like the idea of  
religion at all, though. He only saw it as the driving force that tore his family apart. So he wanted to teach you about science and literature, as he himself learned along the way. If he hadn’t, neither of you would have been educated. He chose not to tell Mother about it, though. She wouldn’t have liked it. But it wasn’t hard to keep it from her; it’s not like she came down from her bedroom enough to notice the chalkboard.”

        I let the knowledge sit in my mind for a bit, letting out an involuntary sigh. “How old was he?” I asked finally, though I was somewhat afraid of the answer. None of this really seemed fair to him.

        ”He was fourteen.” she answered softly.

        "That would make you..?” I left the question open ended.

        She shook her head, and I knew what she meant. I checked the title page of the Emerson  
book in my hand, and sure enough, there was the date: February 20th, 2006.

        ”It was your tenth birthday.”

        ”What, that’s my birthdate?” I asked, almost excitedly, staring at the date.

        ”Yeah. Why?”

        ”I never knew.” I chucked a bit in shock. As the questions began to arise, I worked out the math in my head. “But that would make me twenty-one. I thought I was twenty-three.”

        ”Oh! Well, there you go.” she smiled. “Learn something new every day.”

        ”How long was I on the street for?”

        ”What do you mean?” she stared at me. I studied her face, slowly realizing the extent of her  
limited knowledge. She had no idea what I was talking about. She had no idea what happened to me, and what would soon happen to her.

        ”Melanie, what color are my eyes?” I asked her quietly, the words almost inaudible as they passed my lips, like they themselves were as afraid of reaching her as I was to say them.

       ”Brown, same as mine.” She answered, raising one eyebrow in a puzzled expression. “What, are you blind or something?”

        I would’ve laughed at the reality of her question, but the sickening wave of sadness consumed me as I realized how little she knew. She wasn’t afraid of me at all; not because she knew me, but because she didn’t know me at all. In just a few years, she would be dead. She would lose her brother, and all of the memories that went with him. She would forget everything, bad and good, and she had no idea that she should even be afraid. She thought what she had already seen was the worst of it, but little did she know how much worse it would be to not see at all.

        ”No.” I answered, trying not to cry. She looked at me curiously, and I feared what would happen if she learned the truth. So I decided not to let her. Instead, I smiled as best as I could. “Just a pop quiz.”

        ”You’re weird.” she giggled, shaking her head. “I like it.”

        ”Good, because soon you’ll be just as weird.” I smiled bravely, and she did the same, but her smile was much braver. I sighed, still smiling. “So that sounds about right; Jack and I are four years apart. I thought we were only two.”

        She nodded. “Have you seen enough?”

        ”Do I have a choice?”

        ”No, not really.” she laughed. “Just a courtesy question.”

        ”Then I suppose I have.” I laughed along. She took my hand, and were back at the Mansion. She stood casually in the far corner of my room. I was back in my bed. She smiled.

        "I’ll see you soon.” she whispered, and like a flash of light, she vanished as quickly as she appeared, leaving me to wonder if the light had ever been there.


	16. XV

  When I woke up the following morning and rolled over sleepily in my bed, I found Jeff there beside me. He was wide awake, sitting up against my bedframe, seemingly lost in thought. Noticing my movement, he turned to look at me, and flashed a little sad smile.

        ”Hey.” he said simply.

        ”Hey.” I said back, my voice all gravelly for the morning. “What are you doing up?”

        ”I couldn’t sleep.” he replied. I waited for him to explain in further detail, but he didn’t.

        ”Why is that?” I pressed finally after a strange second of silence. He shook his head, confusing me. “What? Was it something I did?”

        ”No, nothing like that. Last night was just kind of.. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just being crazy.”

        ”Well you’re crazy, but I won’t know if that relates to any of this until you tell me what it is.” I  
teased, causing him to smile a little bit. He sighed.

        ”A lot happened last night.” he began. “It was just a lot to take in, and I didn’t really know how to do it.”

        ”Which parts?”

        ”I don’t even want to go into the whole tea party situation yet.” he said, sweeping his arm through the air as if to push the event away for the time being. I had almost dismissed the event as a dream, so hearing him address it was almost reassuring.

        ”So it was something I did.” I deduced, understanding which event he meant to discuss.

        ”Not exactly, Rev.” he defended me. “I don’t want to go into this with you looking at it like that. So just… Listen. Okay?”

        ”Okay.” I agreed, sitting up and rotating my body to face him with my undivided attention.

        He took a deep breath. “Jane really pissed you off last night.” he observed.

        I looked down at my hands remorsefully. “Yeah.”

        ”Don’t get me wrong, Rev, she was being an unbelievable bitch. I wanted to beat her down  
myself. I’m just surprised that you did.” He leaned over to make me look him in the eyes. I did, and he gazed back at me with a soft but present intensity. “People don’t typically get to you that easily.”

        ”She struck a nerve, I guess.” I replied quietly. I felt really, REALLY bad about what I did to her. Talking about it wasn’t making it any easier, but at the same time, Jeff had been impacted by the incident, and I supposed that he deserved answers.

        ”What nerve, Reverie?” he asked with a little grimace. “What was it that she said?”

        I hesitated. He knew exactly what she had said. He knew what had gotten to me so much, but he didn’t want to believe it any more than I wanted to say it. That’s what had kept him up all night. He couldn’t stand the thought that Jane saw right through us. He had been exposed as much as I was. Part of me just wanted to be open with him about it, but I wasn’t truly ready for the conversation that would inevitably follow my response.

        ”I don’t know.” I said finally.

        ”Reverie.”

        ”What?”

        ”Come on.” He shook his head, then took my hand. “Please.”

        ”Since when do you want to talk about things?” I accused, hoping to distract him from the question. He rolled his eyes, and I knew he had taken the bait. “Seriously, what’s new?”

        ”I’m trying, Reverie! Can’t that be enough for now?” he snapped, subconsciously squeezing  
my hand roughly. I yanked it away from him, and he groaned exasperatedly. “Throw me a bone. I’ve been up all night contemplating this damn conversation, so I’m sorry that I didn’t take into account your willingness to obey.”

        I scoffed, shaking my head.

        ”To talk about it.” he corrected quickly. “I’m sorry. Obey was the wrong word.” he let out a tired  
sigh. “Just give me a chance.”

        ”I’ve given you chances.”

        ”Like last time?” he challenged, becoming angry. “No, you fucking ignored me, and I just let it go, because even though it pissed me off to the furthest fucking extent, I accepted that you had a reason to be mad at me. But I can’t just let it go this time. I don’t know what the fuck I did wrong!”

        ”You didn’t do anything wrong!”

        ”I must have if you have managed to stay mad at me this long!”

        ”You didn’t do anything wrong that time either!”

        ”Then why couldn’t you be bothered to even fucking listen?!”

        ”I didn’t have to! I heard your thoughts!” I blurted, then immediately slapped my hand over my mouth, but to no avail. It was too late; I had already said it. All I could do was wish I hadn’t. His mouth dropped and he fell dead silent, which only left me the time to regret it more. What seemed like a forever went by like this, and I prayed for him to speak, or even go back to yelling at me, but he didn’t.

        ”Well, say something!” I demanded, unable to cope with the suspense.

        ”What do you mean you heard my thoughts?” he whispered in disbelief.

        ”It was really unclear and brief, but I heard you thinking in my head.” I answered timidly.

        ”Are you talking about that thing that happens when we touch?” he asked as vaguely as he possibly could, but just clearly enough to communicate his meaning. Part of me was surprised that he knew of it, let alone the fact that he had been willing to speak of it at all. I melted, just so love-sickeningly touched by the idea that he had felt it too.

        ”No, not that.” I said after a second of composure, deciding not to make him uncomfortable by fawning all over him. I couldn’t help my smile, though. “I mean sort of how I imagine Slender would hear thoughts, just not nearly as sophisticated.”

        ”Why didn’t you tell me?” Jeff demanded, suddenly angry again. “You just left me to believe it was my fault!”

        ”I didn’t realize you would feel that way.”

        ”What, you wouldn’t feel ignored?”

        ”You and I are very different types of people!” I retorted. “You don’t normally care about the same things that I do!”

        ”You don’t think that I care about how you feel about me?!” he shouted, clearly appalled. He  
jumped out of my bed, pacing around a bit as he brought his hands to his head, simply amazed  
by my response. “You don’t think that I’ve ever wasted nights kicking myself for every little stupid thing I’ve said?! That I don’t feel like a fucking moron for constantly saying the wrong thing?! Well, news flash, honey! I may not tell you every fucking time you cross my mind, but you do it a lot.  _Because_  you do it a lot. Luckily for you, you can get away from me, but I’m constantly having to deal with myself, and it fucking sucks! Everyone knows that Jeff the Killer is a heartless prick, but the more I care about how you know me, the more that  _I_  get to know me, and I fucking hate it, because I have to see all my faults, and who the fuck wants to read that long of a list?! But of course I can’t bring myself to stop because for some ridiculous reason, I’ve gotten it into my head that if I read all the way up to the end, I can figure out how to be a decent guy for you, and maybe you’ll respect me for it. I don’t know. The whole thing is fucking insane. But I’m just in too deep with you to see that."

       I don’t think I’d ever seen him so upset. Sure, he’d been angry before, but here, he was trying not to cry. I hated to watch, but the thought perplexed me. What changed?

        I waited silently as Jeffrey brushed his hair from his face as he caught his breath, trying to recollect himself. He wouldn’t look at me.

        ”I’m in way too goddamn deep with you.” he muttered, shaking his head in both sadness and resentment as he stared at the hands that had fallen to his lap.

        ”What are you saying, Jeffrey?” I asked nervously, fear creeping into my mind. Had he finally grown tired of me? I had always known the day would come, but I had hoped it wouldn’t be quite so soon. I pretended to glance at the ceiling as I stifled a single, pathetic tear.  _Don’t be such a bitch, Reverie. You’re a big girl; stop acting like a fucking baby._

He finally glanced up at me, and suddenly it was my turn to look away. I couldn’t face what was coming. Not yet, at least. In my peripheral vision I saw him reach out for me, and I tensed up, subconsciously bracing myself for the emotional pain that would follow the physical contact. He sensed this, and with a heavy sigh, he held my hand anyway.

        ”It’s true, Reverie.” he said evenly. “I resent how close we’ve become. The day we hit that year mark-”

        ”You remember the date?” I asked, amazed and confused. We had never discussed it. I didn’t even know it, how could he?

        ”You came here on November thirteenth, and you ran away on the seventeenth of December,  
making the eighteenth the night we first had sex. I’ve been counting from there.” he admitted. “Today is January third, so it’s been over a year. Don’t interrupt.” he scolded strangely. I nodded, still shocked. He chuckled a little bit, confusing me even more.

        ”The day we hit that year mark,” he continued, “I’ll admit, I was pushing you away a little. That  
was the day the brothers came to the Mansion, the day I..” he shook his head regretfully, pulling his hand away from me. He still hadn’t forgiven himself. “I was fucking uncomfortable, Rev. Just look at me. I’m clearly not the romantic type. I’m a murderer and a psycho and overall just an arrogant douchebag.” Abruptly he grabbed my hand again and reached for my chin to point it towards him, though I recoiled a bit from the sudden movement and the mixed signals. He held my chin and glared at me with either a fiery passion or burning hatred; I couldn’t tell which. “But, Reverie, I am not a coward. And that’s just what I’d be if I let you get away from me.”

        I wasn’t expecting that.

        ”What?” I asked cautiously.

        ”You’re stuck with me, Rev.” he reiterated, shaking his head, never breaking his gaze. “I don’t  
give a damn what you think is best, or even really what you want at this point. You’ve seen too much.” he smiled, recognizing the dangerous and satirical tone he’d given the last assertion. “If you left, I’d have to kill you.” he added, finishing the joke.

        ”Are you sure?” I asked hesitantly. “I was prepared for a breakup. If there’s a time to back out,  
it would be now.”

        ”I’m sure.” he replied, standing and sitting beside me on the bed quickly, followed by a hard, desperate kiss. He pulled away, and looked back into the depths of my absent eyes. “I’m all in.”


	17. XVI

**Jeff the Killer's Point of View**

        Later that day, after I had gotten some half-assed sleep in Reverie’s bed, I stumbled lazily downstairs to meet her, still groggy from my mid-morning nap. She was having brunch in the kitchen with Jack when I found her. Though it bugged me a bit, I reluctantly accepted that she hadn’t spent much time with him in a while, and stopped in my tracks and started for the TV. BEN wasn’t there, so I grabbed the remote and started flipping through the channels. I stopped on a documentary about Jack the Ripper, silently wondering why every fucking guy in the world of serial killers is named Jack.  _It’s not even intimidating! Well I suppose Jeffrey isn’t either, but my nickname was chosen for me. What a dumb name: “Jeff the Killer.” Why can’t these dumb journalists or whatever be more creative? Come on, I’m a hell of a candidate for it. I was burned alive, I have white skin, my eyelids are burnt off, I’ve got a giant smile carved into my face; just pick a feature. Was "Jack the Ripper" a chosen name?_

My thoughts were interrupted by Laughing Jack as he waltzed into the room.  _Another example of Jack,_  I thought. He flopped onto the couch beside me, and I shot him an intimidating glare. He didn't seem to notice. 

        "Can I help you?" I asked him gruffly. To my horror, he leaned over to me and swept his tongue across my lips in response. The amount of involuntary force that went into the following punch was irrationally high, not to mention the additional voluntary force. 

        "Are you fucking dense?!" I shouted, having pounded my fist into his eye. He held onto the injury and pouted.

        "No, I'm drunk." he whined.

        "Do you think it may have been a bit too much, douchebag?!" I almost squealed, I was so fucking furious. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

        "Okay, okay." he slurred. "I may have had a little too much." He draped his arm over my shoulder as he spoke  _very slowly._ "But now we're much..  _Closer_  friends.. Aren't we, dear?" 

        "Get the hell off me." I ordered, shoving his arm away as I scooted further down the couch. "Have you been sharing with Sally, too?"

        "No.. I found a bottle in her room after you warned me.. Alo- along with some candies.." I gawked at him in shock and horror at this news. "Not the poisonous kind, though." he assured me as quickly as a drunken clown could have. "That's why I drank it all.. I didn't know how she got it, so, so I drank what I had left.. Too. I dran- I drank what I had left, Jeff the Killer."

        "Well, thanks, I guess." I said, still inching uncomfortably away from him. "But that doesn't excuse the violation of my personal space." 

        He groaned lazily as he stood from the couch, almost falling over on the way up. He began to stumble towards the kitchen. "Reverie, my princess? Daddy wants you!" he moaned sluggishly.

        "Don't even think about it." I warned him in a deep growl. He stopped moving not long after my warning, pausing to think near the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. "Thank you." I said. "Now-"

        "What's up, sweetheart?" Reverie giggled, rounding the corner of the wall into the living room. Before I could stop him, LJ swiftly dipped her down and shoved his tongue eagerly past her lips, and kissed her fiercely. I jumped up and furiously ripped him away from her, shouting vulgarities. He turned to face me with a confused expression right as I proceeded to backhand it right off of his face.

        "I told you to fuck off!" I scolded, shoving him backwards into Reverie. This was a poor decision that led him to turn around and kiss her again, this time with the audacity to grab her ass with both of his perverted hands. I grabbed him by the hair on the back of his head and threw him to the ground. 

        "Stop! Jeff, he's clearly wasted!" Reverie piped up, grabbing my arm as I stood above him. "It would be an unfair fight."

        "What makes you think I fight fair?"

        "Jeffrey!"

        "Why do you always have to argue?" I snapped, turning to her. "Just give me a goddamn break!" 

        Suddenly, she released my arm and threw both of her hands up in an angry surrender. She waited for me to beat him, but I just stared at her, bewildered that she had even listened. Once she saw that I wouldn't be beating him in front of her, she shrugged smugly and headed back into the kitchen with Eyeless Jack.

        I watched her as she walked away, and after she was gone I heard LJ start to giggle beneath me. I turned to kick his side, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, which only made him laugh harder. 

        "Oh, fuck off." I snapped, walking back around to the couch. I sat down silently and resumed watching the documentary, leaving myself only to wonder what the hell was wrong with me.

* * *

        I sat alone in my bedroom later that evening, still a bit cross from earlier as I sorted through my knife collection for the millionth time. I didn't want to think about it. I just had to keep myself preoccupied.

        There was a short and shy knock at the door, and I assumed it was Reverie. I hesitated to answer, frantically searching for the words to say to her. Then there was a little voice.

        "Jeffrey?" Sally called softly from the other side of the door. I let out a sigh, both relieved and disappointed that the voice hadn't belonged to Reverie. I told Sally to come in, and upon seeing her innocent face, I forgot what I had been so upset about, and perked right up.

        Hey, Sally girl!" I cooed, motioning for her to come closer. Silently, she did. I hoisted her up onto my lap and stared into her emerald green eyes. They were sad. "What's the matter?" I asked.

        "We need to leave." she answered dejectedly.

        "What?" I asked, unsure if I had heard her right.

        "We have to get away from here, Jeffrey."

        "What do you mean, 'we need to leave', Sal?"

        "It's not safe here." she said vaguely. "Charlie told me so."

        "Did Charlie say anything else?" I pressed. She shook her head. "Do you have any idea why he said that?"

        She thought on it for a second. "He's scared of something in the Mansion. I'm sure he thinks we should be, too."

        "But what?"

        "It's either one of us or just something occupying the house. He said we need to leave it here for now."

        "And what happens if we don't listen?"

        She shook her head frantically, her big green eyes widening. "Not good. Not good at all."

        "Would Charlie lie?" I asked. 

        She looked at me as if I was entirely dense. "He's a spirit, Jeffrey; what reason would he possibly have to lie?"

        I bit back a little laugh at her boldness. "Okay, fair enough. What do you suggest that we do?"

        She didn't appear to appreciate my lack of urgency. "Jeffrey, I told you! We have to leave!"

        "Sal, I understand, but it's a little more complicated than that. I'll have to talk to the others."

        "But we HAVE to go!"

        "Sally, I  _will_ talk to them. Okay?" She looked down sadly. "I promise. We'll sort this out."

        "Please hurry." she pleaded, glancing up at me trustingly before jumping off my lap and leaving the room. She shut the door quietly behind her.

        I was left to myself again, this time wondering what to do with the information I'd been given. It was hard enough to accept an eight-year-old's stuffed animal as all-knowing, let alone to treat the bear's word as fact.  _I'll talk to Slender. He'll know what to do._

Trying to meet Sally's sense of urgency, I got up and headed to Slender's room. Once I ascended all the way to the third floor, I turned down the hall to Slenderman's bedroom. I'd never been in there before. The door itself seemed sacred, but I knocked anyway. There was no answer, so - assuming I had knocked too softly - I knocked harder. Still there was no response. 

        "Slender?" I called in. I waited for a moment more, but still nothing. I didn't know what to do. My first instinct was to was togo back downstairs and wait it out, but little Sally sat in the back of my head and scolded me for ignoring her pleas. But maybe he was in the shower? I didn't hear any water running. After a moment of consideration, I realized that I hadn't seen Slender at all in days.  Normally he would pester us at least every other day or so just to know we were alive. 

        "Slenderman?" I called again a bit nervously. Once again there was no answer. So I gathered my courage, battled my better instincts, and opened the door. 

        The room was pitch black, and the only light came from the hallway beyond the open door. That light seemed to only travel partway into the large void of the room, so I accidentally tripped over the leg of the bed frame as I moved forward. Letting out a short vulgarity, I keeled over at the pain in my foot, then stood again soon after. I wondered why Slender hadn't yet scolded my profanity. 

        "You aren't even fucking here, are you?!" I fumed out loud, frustrated and mildly abandoned.  _Of course not. Not like we need him here in Slender fucking Mansion. Now what? He's gone mysteriously missing right when we need him most. Fucking fantastic. Now who's the man of the house?_

I thought about it, and LJ would be the WRONG person to be left in charge. Of course I wanted to take the reins, but as much as I love bossing others around, I wanted no responsibility for a potentially sinking ship.  _So who's next?_

_Eyeless Jack._

_Oh, fuck no. There's no way I'm answering to him._

"Would you rather do all the work?" a little voice in the back of my head asked me. 

        "Fuck off." I answered aloud, but the stupid little prick was right.

        So guess where I went?

* * *

**Eyeless Jack's Point of View**

        I was chilling out with Melanie all day. She didn't give a reason why she suddenly wanted the company, but I enjoyed it anyway. Why question it? I had the gift of living with my long-lost sibling. Others would be lucky to hang out at this age every month or so, so I counted my blessings and enjoyed them thoroughly. We spent the afternoon watching old horror movies and laughing at the cartoonish gore of them. She asked about our parents once, but then quickly changed the question to focus on my childhood. She said she'd figure out the initial question's answer soon enough. I gave her a brief description of my life after without giving away too many details about our parents. It was easiest to tell her about my studies and my college experience, and I finally told her the full extent of my "origin story". She was fully entertained, and asked millions of questions along the way regarding smaller details I thought she'd miss. I don't know what I was thinking. That girl never misses a thing.

        After we'd been talking for several hours, she realized that she hadn't eaten since brunch. I didn't need to eat more than once a day, so she hadn't thought about eating since I had. She decided to go make some dinner a few minutes before Jeff appeared in my open doorway. 

        "Well, hello." I acknowledged him as he stood oddly silently by the threshold. 

        "We need to talk." he said vaguely. 

        "Look, Jeff, if this is about how much time-"

        "Not everything I think about revolves around Reverie." he snapped, glaring at me. "Give me a little credit."

        "I'm sorry." I said, throwing my hands up in surrender as I sat up in my bed. I motioned for him to come in, and quickly he did, and shut the door behind him. "What is it then?" I asked as he sat at my desk. 

        "You know Sally's whole deal with Charlie, right?"

        "You mean how she talks to it?"

        "More how it talks back."

        I tried to process the information. "How do you mean?"

        "The bear's some type of host for a spiritual mind or whatever." he explained unsurely, and I realized that my ideas of Sally were true. 

        "She's a spirit host herself?" I pressed, intrigued.

        "Seems like it, or she connects or commands them or something." He waved his hand to dismiss the topic. "Anyhow, she told me today that Charlie said we need to leave the Mansion. She really trusts it and she seemed pretty freaked out, so I tried to talk to Slender, but he wasn't there, so-"

        "Woah, woah, woah, wait the fuck up. What do you mean Slender wasn't there?" I interrupted, confused and alarmed.

        "He wasn't in his room or anything."

        "Well did you call him?" I asked fearfully.

        "He can't read thoughts."

         _"What?"_

        "Reverie didn't tell you?"

        "Tell him what?" Melanie stood in the open doorway. I was so frantic that I hadn't even heard her come in, but it wasn't my primary concern.

        "Slender can't hear thoughts, Reverie?" I asked her, as if somehow the concept would be more true out of her mouth. She just stared at me for a second with her lips poised to speak. Then she shook her head. "Why didn't you feel the need to tell me this?" I demanded.

        She walked in and shut the door behind her. "I thought it was best left on a need-to-know basis."

        "You didn't think I needed to know this?!"

        "Why are you so fucking upset about this? I was just doing what I thought was best!"

        "Best for  _you_ , or best for  _everyone_?" I thundered, jumping off my bed angrily. "I live here!  _Children_  live here! Slender is the head of the house! We need this sort of information, Melanie!"

        "It's-"

        "Reverie! I know! I'm sorry!" I corrected before she could torment me. " _Reverie_ , if Slender is missing and he can't hear thoughts, this could be really bad for all of us!"

        "Slenderman is missing?" she blurted, her "eyes" widening with fear. She then turned to glare at Jeff. 

        "Don't get mad at Jeff; you're no better than he is there! At least he did what was best for the  _Mansion._ " I defended him. "If he had told you, what would you have done?"

        "I don't know!" she shouted, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Who cares?! What do we do?!" 

        "Charlie told Sally that we should leave the Mansion." Jeff filled her in. "She told me just a few minutes ago."

        "Did she tell you why?" I asked him.

        "She thinks it's someone or something in the house." He shook his head. "That's all I know."

        "What if it's Slenderman?" Reverie directed her question at Jeff. "That would explain so much!"

        "But Slenderman's not here. She said it's something in the house."

        "Am I missing something?" I barged into their little conversation, waving my hand demandingly to catch their attention. They both hesitated and looked to each other for answers. "Stop acting like I don't need to know this!"

        “Reverie thinks Slender is changing and she can hear thoughts.” Jeff finally blurted.

        “What?!” I thundered.

        “Jeffrey!” Reverie snapped.

        “Shut up, Reverie! If you don’t want to say anything of importance then keep your damn mouth shut!” I shouted at her, and she fell silent, but continued to glare furiously at Jeff. “Jeff, when did you hear about this?”

        “She told me earlier this morning.” he answered, remorsefully side-glancing at Reverie. “She only heard thoughts once, though.”

        “Reverie, is that true?”

        “I’ll just hear static when someone is thinking really hard,” she answered quietly, “but yeah, it’s true.”

       “When did you first notice it?”

       “Several days ago.” she admitted. She let out a sigh and sat lightly on the floor between us. “Honestly, I didn’t know what to do. I only told Jeff by accident.”

        “You could’ve come to me, Rev.” I sighed.

        “I didn’t want to scare anyone.”

        “I-” I started.

        “No, hold on a second.” Jeff interrupted, raising his hand to silence me as he leaned over to Reverie. “You’re afraid to  _scare_  us? We’re not some little kids across the street in the dark, Reverie; you don’t  _scare_  us. We’re adults who literally terrorize and murder  
people for fun. You need to stop thinking like you’re this big, bad monster. You aren’t. Not here. Not to us.” He shook his head in disapproval. “You need an ego check, Rev. And  _I’m_  saying that.”

        She sat there silently for a prolonged moment as she ingested the criticism, then nodded slowly with a sigh. “Okay.” she said finally.

        “Well said, by the way, Jeffrey.” I praised him, and he shrugged uncomfortably. He didn’t seem to like the attention much, so I moved quickly to the next thing. “So, Reverie, you think the problem may be with Slenderman?”

        She stared at me uncertainly. “I don’t know. Jeff made a good point. He’s not here. It can’t be him.”

        “What do you think it is, then?” I pressed.

        “Honestly, I don’t see how that matters at this particular moment. If it’s not safe here, we need to leave as soon as possible.”

        “I agree.” Jeff stated.

        “Then we’ll leave.” I concluded. “But keep your eyes out for signs. I’ll do the same.”

        “Well you both kind of have to.” Jeff laughed. Reverie and I just stared at him blankly. “Get it?” he pressed awkwardly. “‘Cause.. You don’t.. Neither of you have.. Eyes.. Okay, cool, not the time.”

        “Agreed.” I shook my head at him, but I couldn’t help but smile a bit. My twisted humor meshes with his sometimes.  _He’s not so bad_ , I thought.

         “Wait, all jokes aside: where will we go?” Jeff asked, dismissing the conversational detour.

        “Any suggestions?” I directed the question at the both of them. Neither of them spoke up. “Well, I suppose I can ask the others and see what they-”

        “I think I know a place.” Reverie volunteered quietly, shyly raising her hand.

        “Where?” I asked curiously. I assumed she would have only been familiarized with alleys and hidden outdoor locations. Why wouldn’t she have slept in a house before the Mansion if she’d known of it?

        “If I can get to it.” she added.

        “You don’t know where it is?” I clarified with confusion. She shrugged a bit.

        “Sort of.”

        “Reverie, I need to know where it is if I’m going to send kids, proxies, a bitchy woman, and a drunken clown there.”

        “Whatever happened to the old house we lived in with Mother and Father?”

        I gulped. When did she remember the house? What else had she remembered? Would going there compromise her mental stability? Was she ready to see it?

        “I’m picking up static, Jack.” she told me, and I took a deep breath, hoping to silence my thoughts. “Do we have a better option?” She challenged, as if she knew what I was thinking.

        I sighed, just hoping for the best at that point. “No.” I said finally, briefly examining her facial expression. She seemed fine. The house would probably be a decent spot; it’s secluded, and it’s not incredibly far from the Mansion. All I could do was what I thought was best for everyone, though my brotherly instincts fought against it. “Let’s get packed up. We leave at dawn.”


	18. XVII

**Reverie's Point of View**

        By the time dawn rolled around, I hadn’t gotten much sleep. Packing wasn’t an issue; I just grabbed a sweatshirt and a couple of outfits along with several undergarments and my dagger, among as many other essentials as I could cram into my backpack. All that had been done in fifteen minutes, twenty minutes tops. The real reason for my insomnia was the simple anxiety of leaving; the anticipation of going back on the streets to eventually arrive at my childhood home, or house for that matter. I hardly knew what the word “home” meant, so as far as I was concerned, Slender Mansion was the closest thing to it. But with all that had happened over the last several weeks, and with the real Slenderman all but forgotten, I wasn’t even sure of that anymore.

        Was I ready to face my memories? Could I even withstand the life that lies beyond this place? And what about Jack? How would he feel about the house in which he spent his childhood abused and neglected? That house was no happy place; how could he find it in him to go back? He always did what was best for others. I made a stupid suggestion in my haste and anxiety, and Jack would readily march back towards his traumatic memories simply because he saw it fit for the others. It made me respect him, but begged the question: is he a hero or a martyr? Was there even a difference?

        Slenderman would know. He always did. Even if we’re mostly adults, how would we manage without him? He held us together; he forced us to keep our heads straight. He was more of a father than I’d ever had, and I get the sense that Jack felt similarly. Sally definitely did; at least after her death, she did.

_I’m thinking too much. I need to sleep or tomorrow will only suck that much more._

        Then my alarm blared on the nightstand beside my head, and after giving it a few choice words, I shut it off and rolled out of bed.

* * *

**Jeff the Killer's Point of View**

        I told my alarm to fuck off and rolled over. I barely slept. My head was swimming in anxiety of the next day. I’d never left Slender Mansion after I arrived. Well, with the exception of killing sprees, that is. This place was what I knew. I was reluctant to leave, but I knew I would have to eventually. I would lose my shit if I couldn’t kill until Slender came back. If he came back.

        Eventually EJ appeared in my room. My alarm was still blaring. “Get up, dude, we gotta go.”

        “We aren’t even leaving for a valid reason. Y’all can wait a few fucking hours.”

        “Tell that to Sally.” he smirked.

        “I’m not her bitch, dude.”

        “Fine, tell it to Reverie.”

        “I’m not her bitch either!”

        He made an obnoxious whipping sound effect, then left the room laughing. My alarm continued to blare as the door hung open.

        “I’m not her bitch, Jackass!” I called. There was no response. I got up to hunt his dumb ass down, and found him at the end of the hallway leaning casually against a wall.

        “Oh, good, you’re up.” he said smugly. “Get dressed, it’s gonna be cold out.” He straightened up and started for the stairs. I stood there, pissed that he had taken advantage of my ego, but eventually stormed off to get dressed.

* * *

**Reverie's Point of View**

        Within the hour the sun had risen and we were on our way. As we trekked farther and farther forward, I looked to the Mansion behind me, and was lucky enough to catch it vanish before my very “eyes”. All that was left in its place were trees and the light snow upon the ground, so I adjusted my sweater and turned to face the land in front of me. I knew what it was like to leave, but I never would have imagined it could be so hard. My future stretched out ahead of me, so I did what I knew how to do: run away and never look back. I figured someday I’d be glad I did.

        We started in the direction of town. When I asked Jack if he knew where we were going, he said he knew well enough to get there, just not well enough to navigate through the woods. He sensed my concern.

        “Try to keep your eyes shut, Rev.” he suggested.

        “I have to see.” But then I considered it for a second. “Maybe I can still use your vision.” I thought aloud.

        “Try it.” he encouraged.

        I halted for a moment, and told him to keep moving. He did, and the others walked past me as I signaled for them to do so. Jeff, who heeds no such warnings, stopped beside me.

        “What are you doing?” he asked.

        “I’m testing my vision-sync. I haven’t used it in a while, so I might trigger my telekinesis if I focus too hard. Go on ahead; I don’t want to hurt you.”

        He rolled his eyes, annoyed by my recurring fear of injuring him. He thought himself far too strong for that. “Fine.” he allowed anyway. “Use my eyes, though. A pair of existing eyeballs might make less work for you.”

        I thanked him, and he walked on. Once everyone was at least twenty-five feet ahead, I shut my eyes. I tried my best to clear my mind, thinking only of sight. I imagined the woods as they stretched out in front of me, and extended my arms to get a sense of space. I felt myself growing nervous about how much further ahead everyone was getting, but I caught myself and quickly reverted my attention back to the woods. I visualized the trees, all the morning sunlight as it rained onto the sparkling snow, the fog hanging between the branches. Then I visualized how Jeff might see things: the shadows casting from the treetops, the footprints of the others, the muddy ground beneath the thin layer of cold, wet snow. I concentrated on opening an imaginary third eye that saw only through Jeff’s eyes. As it opened, the world started to expand around it, but it snapped shut again when a tree branch crashed in front of me. My eyelids flew open to witness the resounding thud of the fallen tree branch, which was about as large as a small tree. Everyone else, now about seventy-five feet away, whipped around at the startling noise.

        “Sorry!” I shouted out with embarrassment as I stepped over the branch. “Keep going! I’ll be there soon!” After a few seconds of hesitation and an encouraging holler from Jack, they did as I asked. I shut my eyes and tried to start from the beginning.

_Clear your mind, Rev. Focus on the ground beneath you; the mud, the footprints, the shadows on the snow. Let Jeffrey be your eyes. Jeff will be your eyes..._

_You can do it, Rev,_  Jeff thought in my head.

        I tried to ignore the presence of his voice while still retaining the encouragement.  _Jeff will be your eyes, let Jeff be your eyes, see only through Jeff’s eyes…_

        I opened the imaginary eye, and sure enough, I could see. I gazed with Jeff at the footprints in the muddy snow, and laughed gleefully. I opened my own “eyes” to find that the group had gained a great distance ahead of me, and started to run.

        “You figure it out?” Jeff asked me once I caught up with him at the rear of the group. I nodded jovially as I caught my breath, and shut my eyes to allow his to serve as my own.

        “I never realized how cool this could be.” I breathed. “It didn’t use to seem like an ability, just a sort of compensation.”

        “You’re boasting.” he chuckled. I laughed, too.

        “Sorry. It’s like an old friend. Haven’t used it in a year.” I smiled. “How was your morning, darling?”

        “Fine.” he answered, side glancing to make sure no one had heard me.

        “Sorry, too much?” I asked remorsefully. “I didn’t mean to undermine-”

        “It’s fine, Reverie.” He glanced around again, and I silently decided not to use the endearments with him anymore. He was clearly ashamed of them, and I hadn’t wanted to freak him out. He sighed and looked back at me, rendering me blind to the path ahead of me. I tripped over something, but he caught me with both hands on my hips before I could hit the ground. “Fuck, sorry!” he interjected as he helped me find my balance. He turned me to face him, and he gently brushed his thumb across my eyelids as if asking me to open them. I did, and I could see the sad expression on his face.

        “What’s wrong?” I asked, and he shook his head. “What’s up, Jeff? Talk to me.” He shook his head again, and for whatever reason, I was beginning to get nervous. “Well, something is clearly upsetting you and I can’t help you if you refuse to-”

        “Just stop talking, Rev.” he said firmly, and I did. He seemed to be anxiously searching for words, so I waited, but soon enough he just shook his head in frustration, grabbed me by the back of my hair and pulled me into him. He kissed me fiercely and passionately as he smashed his lips into mine, and I threw my arms around his neck as I helplessly melted into him. His tongue tangled with mine as he gripped my hair and waist aggressively, and I almost didn’t even notice the pain. We moved in perfect sync, and I slowly began to feel the pain in my waist where his fingers were digging into my skin. I whimpered a bit, which only made him grip harder, and my cry became a moan. One of my hands raised itself to his hair, and my fingers wove themselves through as I pulled gently. He bit my lip, causing me to involuntarily pull harder, and he exhaled heavily, bringing his hand from my waist to my ass as he grabbed greedily. He brought his lips to my neck and bit me, forcing another moan past my lips. Both of his hands were around my waist, and the pain was almost intolerable, but it felt so-

        “Do you guys have to do that shit out here?” BEN scoffed loudly, and we broke away from each other to see the whole group was staring back at us approximately fifty feet ahead. I could see LJ was making obscene gestures up front.

        “And can I join?” LJ cackled.

        “Sorry! We’re on our way!” I shouted back to them as I started to walk. Jeff attached his arm to my waist, and then we started to walk together. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to.

* * *

**Jeff the Killer's Point of View**

        We had been walking for at least an hour and a half, but nothing in the scenery seemed to progress. Still nothing but trees and snow.

        “You sure you know where you’re going?” I called to Jack in the front of the group.

        “Pretty sure.” he called back, not turning from the path ahead of him. “We’ll get there.”

        “But when?”

        “Are you tired already?” he teased. “I’ve known you to make ten-hour killing sprees, and you returned home with not so much as a sigh!”

        “It’s an adrenaline rush!” I defended, annoyed by his targeting. “This is just tedious.”

        “Entertain yourself, then. It’s going to be a while.”

        I huffed resentfully, feeling challenged and defeated at the same time. Reverie had already found her energy in Laughing Jack, who had given her a shitload of his extremely sugar-concentrated candies. She was prepared to run the rest of the way.

        “Don’t you think there’s gonna be a crash sometime?” I questioned the both of them as Laughing Jack was giggling with her. “You gave her a ton of sugar.”

        “Then we’ll give her more.” he laughed. “Once the crash hits we’ll just recharge the high!”

        “So you’re chain smoking candy.” I criticized. “Sounds like the start of a vicious cycle.”

        “She’s not  _smoking_  it. She’s  _eating_  it.” he giggled, entirely missing my point. “Though that does sound like a good idea.” He reached into his shirt and started to pull out a hefty pouch of marijuana.

        “Don’t even think about it.” Eyeless snapped, somehow noticing our actions from the head of the group.  _That asshole is ridiculously sensitive only when it’s inconvenient for us, I swear._  “Not around Sally. Besides, if you all slow down, it’ll take forever to get there.”

        I rolled my eyes. “What’s the difference?” He ignored me, so I leaned over to LJ. “Got anything else?” I suggested.

        He considered it. “Well, I have some-”

        “Not in front of Sally!” Eyeless repeated, and I just took a candy from LJ silently. I popped it in my mouth, and soon enough the artificial energy brought life to my tired limbs.

        “If you need any more, you know where to find me.” Laughing Jack offered, and I nodded gratefully.

        “How are you feeling, Jeffrey?” Reverie giggled from the other side of LJ.

        “I’m feeling pretty fucking swell, sweetheart.”

        “Oh no. He said ‘dear’. He’s starting his truth-telling phase.” she giggled to LJ, and he nodded with a little laugh.

        “My what?”

        “Ask him something!” she urged him, and he turned to me.

        “Why won’t you consider a threesome?” he chuckled, and Reverie exclaimed in amusement before laughing along.

        “You want a what?”

        “I’ve been hinting at it for a while now, Jeffrey.” he laughed, hitting Reverie’s arm in amusement of my cluelessness. “You didn’t know?”

        “I’ve heard that I don’t take hints well.”

        “Clearly.” They both giggled as he spoke. “Then what would you say to it now?”

        “I would say that’s my girl and I don’t feel entirely comfortable with the idea of you putting your hands on her. Not to mention the fact that I am totally and undeniably STRAIGHT.”

        “Could I possibly persuade you?”

        “I’m not easily swayed.”

        “You’ve been swayed before.” he noted, hinting at Reverie, who watched the interaction like a documentary.

        “Through drugs.” I allowed, and Reverie looked down as if rejected. “Not the romantic stuff, babe. Just the sex, which I had wanted the moment I saw you, so don’t feel offended please.”

        “You hated me.” she replied, seemingly surprised by my statement.

        “Do you even remember the night in the woods before you came to Slender Mansion?” I laughed out loud at her obliviousness. “I was practically molesting you, Reverie.”

        “I thought you were just being domineering.” She still seemed amazed.

        “Well yeah, but I had you shoved against a tree with my entire body pressed against you.” At that point I was even more amazed than she was. “Slender sent me to  _get_  you; not to abuse you. I risked Slendy’s wrath for a reason, Rev. The same reason that this one is pushing so hard.” I pointed to LJ. “And why your brother was so persistent.”

        “We don’t speak of it!” EJ fumed from the front of the pack. All three of us burst out laughing. He huffed and kept his face forward.

        Once I regained my composure, I turned back to Reverie. “But seriously, Rev. You’re very appealing.” I informed her.

        “Yeah, I’m going to piggyback on that.” LJ intervened. “I’m not sure if the addiction is due more to the sweetness of your attitude, or the taste of your lips, or the delicious ass..”

        “It may very well be the ass.” I agreed.

        “And the hips..”

        “Don’t even get me started on the hips. And the thighs..”

        “Yes! Especially since she gained a little weight.” he groaned, arising a little scoff from Reverie. “Oh, my sweet angel of Hell, you haven’t the slightest idea, but the extra pounds are absolutely to die for!”

        “Have I seriously gained that much weight?” she asked quietly, self-consciously crossing her arms over her stomach. LJ practically moaned at the thought of it.

        “Reverie, honey, it was weight you needed. You were starving before. You’re healthier now.” I assured her, but Laughing Jack was too hyped to realize that she needed the consolation.

        “Oh my fucking God, you have no clue, darling; it is so compelling.” he sighed. “Jeffrey, this isn’t fair.”

        “Dude, there are other options.”

        “But I don’t want the other options! I like this option!” he whined, stomping his foot in a childish tantrum. “If not a threesome, then maybe just let me borrow her. Just once.”

        “Dude, not a chance.”

        “Okay, I’m going to stop pretending that I’m not entirely lost.” Reverie spoke up. “What’s the commotion?”

        “Do you grasp why this is a weird situation for me?” I asked her.

        “Not at all.”

        “Allow me to offer my insight on the benefits of an open relationship.” LJ cut in. “Sexual freedom allows for both individuals to find release in outside sources in a way that is not destructive to the emotional bond, and where the outside sources are available to meet the individual's’ specific sexual needs, or even standards-”

        “I’ll have you know I satisfy standards just fine.” I established to him, and Reverie nodded in agreement.

        “As enticing as that may be, that’s not my point.” he dismissed the digression. “Jeffrey, I’m not even asking for you to relinquish any rights to her. I’m just asking to be a part of the fun. No strings attached.”

        “I don’t know, but I highly doubt that I’ll ever be cool with that.” I shook my head.

        “Am I allowed an opinion?” Reverie asked, and I realized how much that conclusion must have pissed her off. The look on her face only confirmed this theory.

        “Of course, my love.” Laughing Jack agreed.

        “Jeff?” She glared at me.

        I tried really hard to say the right thing. “Reverie, I’m sorry if you felt shut down, but don’t let him lead you into thinking that these arrangements are average. He has an agenda. They’re common, but not typical among relationships like ours. More often than not, open relationships are between people with failing marriages or whatever. I just figured you would want to be with me.” She looked down at her feet as she walked, and I prayed silently that she would just drop it.

        “Just to be clear, what you’re saying is that if I look to outside sources, you’ll terminate our emotional bond?” she asked, with no clear hint of subtext in her voice. She looked up at me, and her facial expression didn’t clue me any further.

        “Honestly, Reverie, yeah.” I sighed. “I’m sorry if that offends you, but I want you to be mine. I thought that’s what you wanted, too.”

        “It is.” she answered quickly. “I’m just exploring options here. I’m good where we’re at.”

        I let out a sigh of relief. “Okay, sweet. Sorry, LJ.”

        “Hey, I tried.” he shrugged. “Can’t blame a man for trying.”

        After all that, as the reality of the conversation that had just occurred set in, I felt so unbelievably uncomfortable. That conversation had gone way too deep, way too quickly, way too publicly. Those type of thoughts were nerve-racking when they were just  _thoughts,_ and the fact that they had escaped my lips before I had the chance to think about it made my skin was crawl. I felt like I was going to vomit.

        “Hey, LJ, I feel a crash coming on. Might be time to start that cycle.” I said quickly, trying to trick my brain into forgetting that any further words felt like a disease escaping my body into the air. Secretly I prayed that he would give me something,  _anything_  strong enough to cure it.

        Just as I was considering drowning myself in morphine, Laughing Jack dug into his pockets and pulled out fist-fulls of candy to dispense them out to the three of us. I tossed back several pieces eagerly like prescription meds, and waited for them to take effect. My anxiety didn’t seem to subside, so I tried taking a deep breath. LJ side glanced at me, and nudged my hand. At first I thought he was being gay, but I looked down where his hand was, and he was holding something. I held my hand out, and he placed a little plastic wrapped edible on my palm. In that moment,  _I_ could’ve been gay, I was so grateful. I unwrapped it quietly and popped it in my mouth. Soon enough, my anxiety faded.

        “So who makes these?” Reverie asked after we’d been walking in silence for a while. LJ humbly pointed to himself.

        “Really?” I asked, surprised. He nodded. “I never took you for a chemist.”

        “There are many things you don’t know about me.” he noted nonchalantly, a little smile spreading across his face. “Even clowns have histories.”

        “Tell us yours.” Reverie requested.

        He laughed, draping his arm over her shoulder grandly. “But that’s the fun of the mystery, my pet. A magician never reveals his secrets.”

        “You’re a clown.” I corrected.

        “And a chemist.” he giggled.

        “Right, but not a magician.”

        “Behind everything is chemistry, Jeffrey. But the result is magic.”

        “Tastes like magic.” Reverie agreed, admiring the candy that had filled her cheeks like nuts for a chipmunk.

        “Wonderful!” LJ laughed. “Though I should tell you: the candies that you have in your mouth are essentially ecstasy.”

        As she slowly digested his words, she pulled the wrappers out of her sweatshirt pocket and placed the candies back on them one by one until there was only one single candy left in her mouth. “I’ll save those for later then.” she said quietly.

        “Good idea.” he chuckled, rubbing her shoulder.

        I felt the high start to wave over me, and strangely, I sort of wanted to be held. “Hey, can I have my girl back now?” I requested.

        “Oh, but I enjoy her so much!” LJ pouted.

        “Go enjoy Jane. She looks lonely.” I said. We all looked ahead to Jane, who then accidentally dropped one of the three duffle bags she’d brought along.  _Dumb bitch,_  I thought, but Reverie ran to help her. I didn’t have any idea why. Jane was such a bitch, and after what happened between her and Reverie, she was practically  _Reverie’s_  bitch.

        “Let me get that for you.” Reverie said quickly, grabbing the duffle bag as Jane bent down to grab it. The handle was moved from her grasp, and she stared at Reverie as if she had suddenly grown a horn from the center of her forehead, but said nothing. Jane stood and continued to walk as Reverie walked beside her. A few seconds later she tried to take the bag. “I got it.” Reverie smiled, dodging Jane’s hand and adjusting the strap on her shoulder. “If that’s okay with you, of course.”

        “Uh, yeah. Thanks.” Jane mumbled, and they continued to walk.

        I’ll never fully understand that girl.

* * *

**Eyeless Jack's Point of View**

        "How are we doing, Jack?" Reverie called up to me. 

        "We're nearing the suburbs, so everyone take what precautions you must." I announced, and they did so. Melanie shut her eyes, Jeff pulled his hood over his face, and everyone else ignored the warning. There wasn't much they could do; the masks could only hide so much. In cases like mine, Jane's, and Masky's, the masks were there for good reason, though I wasn't entirely sure what Masky's reason was.

        "Soon enough the road appeared through the tree line. Luckily for us, the neighborhood seemed pretty abandoned. I took note of where we were, remembering all the afternoons I spent riding my bike down those streets back in the day. We were roughly 10 miles from the house as far as I could tell. 

        "Come on." I said to the group, and we approached the far sidewalk. House after house we passed until we neared the K-8 school from my memories. I remembered how badly Melanie had wanted to attend the school as a child. I had, too, but I never would have told her that. All I could do was hope she was as happy as she could be with what she had. I'd never know if she had been or not. 

        "I remember this place." she sighed, staring over the chainlink fence alongside me. I hadn't even realized that I'd stopped until she approached me, seemingly as lost in thought as I was. "This is the old public school, isn't it?"

        "Yeah, it is." We stared together at the empty playground. It was a gloomy-looking place now, but it had seemed so bright and lively all those years ago. 

        "I suppose none of that matters now." she said, breaking my thought. A school bell rang, and children started to file onto the playground for recess. We started booking it. The whole lot of us ran as fast as we could to avoid being seen. We got to the third block over before some skater dude crashed into me unexpectedly.

        "Woah man, take it easy!" he said loudly as I picked myself quickly up off the sidewalk. He looked about my age, and wore a tank with the word "OBEY" written across the front, a beanie, and sagging jeans with like four lanyards dangling from his back pocket. "Sorry, bro." he apologized cavalierly as he grabbed his board. He slurred his words together like he'd been smoking marijuana since he was ten years old, and dropped out of high school at sixteen. Approximately twenty-six with no job or prospects of any kind. He looked around at the rest of the gang, who tensed up a bit in anxiety. "What, is today Halloween or something?"

        "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't." Jane replied snidely. He focused his eyes on her chest.

        "Hey, what are you supposed to be, gorgeous?" he slurred, approaching her. 

        "None of your business." she snapped. He had the audacity to cock his head at her and rest his pasty hands on her waist. 

        "Hey, man, step off my girl." LJ warned, taking an intimidating step towards him. He was much bigger than this stranger, yet the guy pressed on.

        "What are you gonna do about it, clowny?" he challenged, releasing Jane and turning to face Laughing Jack, raising to his toes a bit to compete with his height. 

        Laughing Jack let out a horrific, shrieking cackle, sending the guy back a few steps. "Step off, prick. I'm not going to ask you again."

        "Hey man, it's cool! No worries!" the stranger surrendered fearfully. He pulled a long, pen-like device from his pocket. "Hey, do you vape?"

        Suddenly his neck made a loud snap as his head whipped in the opposite direction, and he fell lifelessly to the floor. Everyone looked to Reverie in shock. She stood silently, her eyes dripping blood towards the giant grin across her face. "I'm sorry, I just had to." she laughed. Others let out nervous, surprised giggles as they stared at the corpse. 

        "We should go now." I instructed, and we started on our way back to the woods.


	19. XVIII

**Eyeless Jack's Point of View**

        We finally reached the house by nightfall. As we approached, everyone seemed to slow a little as they took in the disturbing, abandoned feel that the old building gave off. As I gazed at it, my lungs collapsed as my mind flooded with all of the terrible things that had happened there: the relentless beatings, the unforgiving neglect, the inescapable chaos, the unspeakable emptiness. Though they couldn’t have possibly known what I was thinking, the others looked as if they were experiencing a similar feeling of unease. But still, they walked further without hesitation, establishing their detached place in my past.

        Except Mel. She stepped with slow caution to my side, and watched the memories with me. We stood in silence as they played out, and we prepared ourselves for what emotional turmoil was soon to take over.

        “You ready?” she asked me, not as a courtesy but as a sincere question, understanding  of the anxiety this place gave me, and probably gave the both of us. All of those years, all of the unending torture, all of the developments and vacancies in our lives had brought us back here. Together we found ourselves starting at square one, not just as victims of our pasts, but as the criminals of our futures. I smiled beneath my mask. She smiled, too.

        “As ready as I’ll ever be.” I told her.

        We ascended the steps, which creaked beneath our feet, and eventually broke under LJ’s. I placed my hesitant hand on the doorknob, and turned it with all the bravery I could muster. The door groaned as it opened, and the cold, dreary outside filled the abandoned house with the bare minimum amount of light that it had to offer. Everything looked just as I’d left it. I ventured forward into the hallway, which appeared as entirely morose as expected, with the exception of the few picture frames that hung on the wall. I stepped towards an ancient photograph of myself, taken just a few months before Melanie disappeared. I could almost see her behind the camera. It was the single happy picture that I could remember.

        “So you two really are siblings.” Jeff concluded with a hint of surprise in his voice, waltzing up to the picture of little Melanie hanging on the wall beside me.

        “We established this months ago.”

        “Yeah, well, I had my doubts.” he explained. “I believed that you both believed it, but I didn’t fully believe it to be true.”

        “Unlikely circumstances.” I allowed.

        “And I’m pretty cynical.” he chuckled softly, then glanced over at me. “Hey, I get this might be a difficult move for you guys. I don’t know exactly what happened here, but it must’ve been pretty bad if both kids grew up to be murderers.”

        “It’s a hard move for all of us.” I added, acknowledging what little I knew of Jeff’s history with the Mansion. To my understanding, he’d been there a very long time.

        “Yeah, I guess.” He let out a subtle sigh. There was a strange moment of silence before he spoke again. “I’m good for it if you need anything. I’m not completely sure  _what_  I’m good for, but I’m pretty sure I am.” he offered uncomfortably.

        I nodded, smiling a bit under my mask. “Sure.” I answered evenly. He seemed to appreciate my casual reaction, and walked away without another word.

        Laughing Jack took his place in front of Melanie’s picture. His eyes widened, a demented look of bloodlust painting across his face. “What a darling child! Reverie, my love, who is this delectable little-”

        He looked back at Melanie, then back at the picture frame, then back at Melanie, and internally made the connection with a gulp.

        “I should probably dismiss myself now.” me muttered lowly, avoiding her eyes as he hurried away. I glanced back at Mel, who watched him go, probably very confused.

        “What was that about?” she asked me once she noticed my attention to the event.

        “He has a -  _thing -_  for children.” I replied as vaguely as possible, not wishing to account for the entirety of the answer.

        “What sort of  _thing_?” she pressed cautiously.

        I shook my head. “Just don’t think about it too much.” I advised. She nodded, looking back for LJ, but he had long gone.

        “So who’s taking the master bedroom? Jeff asked, rejoining those of us in the living room after having circled the house.

        Melanie and I looked to each other in realization, and my heart came to an abrupt halt. Neither of us had ever seen Mother’s room before. I had no idea what she kept in there all those years, and honestly, I was fucking terrified to find out. I had left this place behind in body and mind, and it wasn’t until that moment that I truly realized the full extent of how emotionally torturous this was going to be. Mel seemed almost as anxious as I was. I wondered what she was thinking.

        “I want to see it.” she answered softly.

        Melanie, Jeff, and I all walked warily up the stairs to Mother’s bedroom door. Once faced with it, Mel and I just stared at each other, as if we would find in each other’s faces what might be on the other side.

        “I’m going to open it, okay?” Jeff warned respectfully, and we nodded. He did as he said he would, and it opened to the pitch black room beyond it. Jeff felt his way to the almost unrecognizable window on the other side of the room and yanked at the light-blocking tarp over it, but the thick fabric wouldn’t even budge. He pulled out his knife and carved a slit down the middle of it, then pulled again. The grey daylight filled the room, and my sight adjusted, falling upon the walls. They were painted the blackest black, covered by nothing but a layer of cobwebs and dust.  _This is what she stared at all those years_ , I thought resentfully.  _This is where she hid from her children._

        The bed was neatly made with dusty black sheets and covers. A dresser at the other end of the room - also black - seemed to be the display for a large, black candle on top of it. I looked to the ceiling and confirmed my suspicion: all the lightbulbs were missing. That single candle was her only light source.

        “There’s nothing in here.” Melanie noted aloud, almost sounding relieved. But to me, this was worse than any Satanic shrines or animal corpses we could have found. It only left me more clueless than I had been.

        “You want it, then?” I asked her, happily relinquishing rights to the bedroom.

        “God, no.” She shook her head firmly. “Not at all.”

        “People are going to have to share rooms anyway.” Jeff said. “There’s nine of us, and only five rooms, not including the common areas.”

        “ _Five_?” Melanie repeated, surprised at how many rooms this house really had.

        “If I can count right.” he confirmed.

        “Reverie, can you call a house meeting in the study- I mean the living room?” I requested. She nodded, apparently understanding my mistake.

 _“Everyone meet in the living room. It’s in the entrance hallway, first opening on the left.”_ she announced telepathically. Jeff huffed. “Sorry!” she said to him. “It’s just easier to address everyone in the vicinity than several individuals.” she explained. He nodded reluctantly, and we started down the stairs for the meeting.

* * *

**Reverie's Point of View**

        We gathered in the living room around the old desks that stood in the center. Everyone stared in curiosity at the school setting, but no one bothered to ask. I looked around myself, racking my brain for memories that I had no access to. Eventually, I stopped trying, and focused on Jack.

        “For those of you who haven’t seen the whole house yet, there are only five bedrooms.” he announced, arising a few loud groans from the group. “I know, but remember, it’s only temporary. If anyone would rather sleep on the couch,” he offered, pointing to the couch along the back wall of the room, “be my guest.”

        The group hesitated silently.

        “Hoody and I will room together.” Masky spoke up, and I was sort of astonished. His voice was so deep and masculine, but his mask was so feminine. I had half-expected him to be a girl. I didn’t question any further.

        “Awesome.” Jack agreed. “Anyone else?”

        Jane sighed, stepping forward. “I’ll take Sally.” she volunteered, and Sally hugged her sweetly. Jane sort of chuckled under her mask.

        “Okay.” Jack turned to Jeff. “You cool with that?” he whispered.

        “I’ll allow it.” Jeff replied, smiling at Sally.

        “Great. BEN?”

        “There’s no fucking TV here!” he whined, searching the room frantically. “What the hell am I supposed to do?”

        “Did you bring a handheld?” Jack asked him calmly.

        “Did I bring a handheld..” BEN scoffed. “Duh.”

        “Watch it, kid. I know this is a tough move, but this is no time to get rebellious.” Jack warned. Then he sighed, and he softened a bit. “You want to room with me? I have a lot of cool action figures and comic books in my old room.” he offered. “I’ll see about setting up a TV.”

        BEN sighed, seeing an offer he couldn’t refuse, and nodded. “Okay, great.” Jack smiled at him. “That leaves Laughing Jack, Jeff, and Reverie. Jeff, I assume you’ll want to room with Reverie?”

        For some reason, I became anxious. It was merely a physical reaction; I had no clear reason for it, rational or irrational. I figured it was probably the setting, and I did my best to ignore it.

        “Of course.” Jeff answered.

        “Reverie?” Jack politely double-checked. I nodded in response. “Okay, go pick your rooms. Try not to kill each other over them. Remember, it’s only temporary.”

        The group dispersed to go find their new rooms, while Jeff and I stayed back for a second. He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “You okay?” he asked me.

        “Yeah, I’m fine.” I replied, flashing him a faint smile. “Just reminiscing a bit.”

        “Are you gonna be fine in your old room?”

        “Yeah. Let’s go claim it before someone else does.”

        We found the room nearest to the staircase on the bottom floor and set our luggage on the bed. I had expected more colors on the walls, but I found myself in a room of sterile white. The bed sheets were crisply made, and there wasn’t a single thing on the walls. On the floor was the bedframe, a nightstand, and a dresser, and nothing more. The whole room was so empty. How could this have been the room of a little girl?

        “It didn’t always look this way.” Jack said behind me, and Jeff and I turned to see him standing in the doorway. “Sorry, I just remembered what you’d be finding.” He gestured to the bedroom. “Anyway, you had a pretty stereotypical pre-teen bedroom. The colors were dark, but they were colors. You chose them. More black and maroon than anything.” he recalled. I nodded eagerly, impatient for him to continue. “You had one doll. It was fucking disturbing as all hell. I hated it, but you absolutely could not sleep without it. How you managed to sleep soundly with a porcelain doll lying next to you, I’ll never know.” He chuckled to himself. “The fucking eyes were supposed to close when the doll wasn’t upright, but they were always open. It was just a silly malfunction in the mechanics, but I suppose it’s appropriate now.” he grinned, gesturing towards my face.

        “Aha, very funny.” I laughed sarcastically, but I was amused. “What happened to all of it?”

        Jack pointed his gaze at the floor, avoiding mine. “The night you disappeared, Father showed up and threw it all into the woods, setting fire to it. I tried to stop him, but..” He cleared his throat and shook his head, trying to dismiss the painful memory. “It didn’t work out.”

        My heart broke for him. I can’t even begin to fathom what pain he must have experienced in that night alone. “I’m sorry, Jack.” I said, my words almost inaudible as they passed my lips.

        He let out a little sad laugh at that. “ _I’m_  sorry. It was your stuff.” He shook his head again. “It was a fucked up thing for that man to do.”

        “I suppose.” I said. I couldn’t help but feel sorry, though. He had lost so much in one day, and then our bastard father burned what was left. Jack was only sixteen then.

        “Well, it can’t really be helped now.” he sighed. “No use in stressing over it.” I nodded, but wondered whether he was talking about me or himself, and he was gone.

        “I wonder what happened to your parents.” Jeff said quietly after a long moment of silence.

        “Me too.”


End file.
